 We all dream about the day we can turn our lives into an endless vacation. But scientists have actually proven that as much as this fantasy lives in our mind, we probably wouldn’t enjoy it too much if it became a reality.
Why? Because having the freedom to do nothing all day doesn’t bring us joy. Purpose does—a reason to get up in the morning, a goal we’re working towards, challenging ourselves to become better than we are today. That’s what drives us
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 School’s Out Tips
• It is never too late to start a new tradition! Have each child pick out their favorite piece of artwork (roughly 10 pieces to start). Take their #1 art piece and have it framed and displayed in your home. Consider mailing one or two art pieces to family and friends near or far. Store the remaining artwork in an art portfolio or a sealable container that slides under their bed. Each year, have them go through the container, edit the contents, and pick out that year’s 10 art pieces. Check out THIS art portfolio for the kiddos!  From documentaries and news articles to hashtags and Youtube videos, the word “minimalist” is just about everywhere these days! Sure, trends come and go, but people who follow this lifestyle seem to be onto something.
So, what is minimalism? It’s doing more with less! Adopting a minimalist approach can transform the world around you—helping you save money, become more productive, protect the planet, enjoy the little things, and live simpler. While some people actually limit the number of belongings they own, you don’t have to be so rigid! To start, try tweaking simple parts of your daily routine and watch how the rest falls into place.  What happens when you love to shop but hate to organize? Have you ever faced that dreadful feeling when you don’t have the time or energy to deal with what you buy?
All those “great deals” become clutter when we bring the pieces into our homes and don’t have a place to put them away. What usually happens is the new items stay hidden in a bag, and we continue to let it pile up! When you have too much stuff with no place to put it, it leads to clutter and chaos. This does not allow you to enjoy the stress-free, organized home you deserve.  I don’t know about you, but I am pretty much over winter! Along with many others, we lost power for four days in one of the recent storms. Luckily, we have our emergency supply box all set up and ready just in case. However, it wasn’t fun!
Tackling Your Spring Cleaning With the arrival of warmer temperatures and that fresh smell that makes you want to open all the windows, spring motivates us to dust off the cobwebs, get rid of the clutter, and re-energize for the exciting seasons ahead.  “I know a girl. She puts the color inside of my world.”Sometimes the sweetest moments are the most unexpected. And any parent out there knows that when you’re raising children, these moments come swiftly, and they should be treasured because you never know when they’ll slip through your fingertips.
My daughter and I were together one afternoon, and I thought this would be the perfect time to help her straighten her room and organize her toys. Naturally, we started with her American Girls collection, and if you know anything about these dolls, you know that they come with outfits upon outfits and loads of accessories! Needless to say, we had our work cut out for us.  When you’re at a restaurant, in the car, or are on your way to the beach, do your kids drive you crazy when they’re fighting in the backseat or complaining about boredom every ten minutes?
I’ve got the perfect solution for you. I found several variations of “busy bags” on Pinterest, and I decided to create my own! My bags have adapted over the years to accommodate my kids and their changing tastes.  As a professional organizer, I have the opportunity to enhance my clients’ homes and the honor to get a glimpse into their lives. Every household is so unique. The lessons I learn from each space stay with me always. That said, I have one client who has strength that stunned me, and if I have to be completely honest, I believe she’s one of those unsung heroes walking among us. After learning about her incredible story, I knew I had to take her lessons and share them. At just 35 years old, this woman was diagnosed with breast cancer, and only two months after receiving a masectomy, her husband died suddenly. With three children under the age of five, keeping the house organized was the furthest thing from her mind. Over a year later, she realized that things were a bit out of control. The basement was packed with clutter, all of the closets were overflowing with clothes, and most importantly, her kids didn’t have anywhere to play together. To help her household, her family, and her psyche, she knew she needed to get organized. When we met, I was so blown away by her story, and I couldn’t wait to start working together to fine-tune her processes for a happier home and life. The first order of business was tackling the basement storage room. Always start with the basement, garage, or additional storage space first. This way, once you begin organizing the rest of your home, you’ll have a place to put any overflow of clutter. Her basement was covered with construction dust and debris, unpacked boxes, forgotten gifts, and holiday decorations—you know, the usual culprits that clutter our garages and storage spaces, the spots in our home where we always say, “I’ll get around to it at some point!”  It was at least 100 degrees outside, and there we were, hauling trash out of the basement into a dumpster in the backyard. With each bag of trash, you could feel a weight lift in the room. After making our rounds back and forth, we finished up by placing all of the family’s donations on the curb. Then it was time for the fun stuff. After moving in some shelves and bins, she now had a well-organized space with room to spare; the perfect place for the rest of the clutter in the home.  Next, we headed to her two little girls' room. The biggest challenge for us in this space was the girls’ deep closet. It was full of clutter. Some of the clutter belonged to the girls, and some of it was her father's. She inherited the home from her father, so some of his items were still stored there.  We unpacked the closet and took her father’s valuables down to the basement for storage and safekeeping. After, we had the opportunity to neatly organize the closet so the girls could have easy access to their favorite toys and books.  The last thing we tackled together was the family’s crawl space. This part of the home sort of became their drop zone. During the year following her husband's passing, this was the dumping ground for anything and everything that she didn't want to deal with. And as you could expect, after a year, this area accumulated quite a lot of stuff.
From carrying out bags of trash to making tough decisions on what to keep and what to toss, we were able to organize this room with the same enthusiasm as the basement. The results are incredible. This family now has an organized little storage room for all those items that are too delicate to be placed in the basement. I am beyond proud of this mother and her family. In such a short amount of time, we helped transform some essential spaces in her home so that her family can enjoy life without the clutter. This is one of my favorite organizing projects, and I’m so grateful that I have the chance to meet incredible people through the work that I do. If you’re ready to organize your home & life, but have no idea where to begin, I’d be happy to help. Click here to book a free consultation call so we can start transforming your space and enhancing your life—one pile of clutter at a time.  It's time for spring cleaning & spring organizing! Working with a professional organizer can help you get your house ready for the relaxing summer you deserve.
Many people assume that if they have to hire a professional organizer, it must mean they live in a "disaster zone." This is simply not true. My clients range from busy working professionals to overwhelmed stay-at-home-moms. I organize for businesses, organizations, and of course, individuals who just need a little help!  It's time for spring cleaning & spring organizing! Working with a professional organizer can help you get your house ready for the relaxing summer you deserve.
Many people assume that if they have to hire a professional organizer, it must mean they live in a "disaster zone." This is simply not true. My clients range from busy working professionals to overwhelmed stay-at-home-moms. I organize for businesses, organizations, and of course, individuals who just need a little help! |
AuthorAnnie Kilbride is the CEO of Life Simplified, LLC a professional organizing business. Visit www.lifesimplifiedpo.com for more information. Categories
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215-908-2869 • anniekilbride@lifesimplifiedpo.com
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