So, it’s that time of year again when we get down on our hands and knees to scrub our home top to bottom. Sponge? Check. Eco-friendly cleaning solutions? Check. Rubber gloves? Check. Ready, set, clean. You step back to admire your hard work only to realize your home doesn’t look any different after hours of scouring.Avoid the spring-cleaning blues. Put the duster down and actually make a visual difference to your home. Remember that feeling when you just moved in? It’s like a new car smell. Everything had its place, décor was new and you had just what you needed. Find that home again! It’s simply a change of mindset, look beyond the mop to the tasks that will actually transform your home for the entire season. Follow these spring-cleaning hacks to a cleaner, brighter home:Out With the Poinsettias: Replace houseplants with … Continued

Oh my, as if moving once wasn’t bad enough. You need to do it twice? Construction not complete? Haven’t quite found your dream house? Old house sold and new one not ready yet? Okay, let’s make this as easy as possible for you. First, don’t think of it as the same thing as the “Big Move” this is a different process. Here are some steps to help you through your transition without having to feel like a vagabond.  All it takes are these five simple steps. You will be happy and organized in your temporary home. Here’s your new mindset for the temporary home: move only what you would take to a hotel for an extended stay, plus basic furniture and daily household items. The rest of your belongings for the big move: can go into storage (or are donated to charity). You … Continued

The start of a new year brings the same old resolutions: get organized, get in shape and eat healthier. What if we all look beyond ourselves and add find new ways to be kinder to Mother Earth to our list? The impact would be pretty fantastic, a re-energized movement to preserve our one and only beautiful earth.One simple way to fulfill that resolution is to be eco-conscious on moving day. Moving is one of the most wasteful times in a household. We finally get around to cleaning out those over stuffed closets, basements and garages. It’s the time we toss out those old clothes, electronics, magazines, bikes, etc. On top of the major weeding out of our belongings, we use tons of boxes and packing materials; and create piles and piles of waste that contribute to our landfills. Let’s just face … Continued

‘Tis the season of gratitude, giving and of course: decorating, parties, feasts, shopping and more. But before you go down your merry, merry to do list, think about the needs of your community and all the stuff and clutter you don’t need around your home. Perhaps, you have clothing, furniture, kitchen items, or even food you have been meaning to clear out? The jolly news is charitable organizations make it even easier for you to donate your household items to assist those in need this time of year. You can make a difference, so everyone can have a joyful holiday. And, you get to rediscover the holiday joy you experienced as a child.This is not just another to do on your holiday list, it’s very simple and the rewards are immense – it’s the ultimate win- win! You assist others … Continued

Have you ever wondered how “The Bachelor” moves into the mansion each season, or if the home your favorite movie is set-in is just a set? These magnificent houses are often not sets, but are private homes the production company rents from the homeowner for filming.As you can imagine, there are a lot of moving pieces to transform someone’s home into a movie set. Detail management is key. It takes a specialized synchronization of activities. First, the homeowner’s belongings are packed up and moved out. Then, the location managers take over, setting up the home for the movie; music video; or reality or scripted TV show. After the director calls it’s a wrap, the set furniture and props are wrapped up, protected and moved out. The homeowner’s belongings are moved back in, unpacking and setting up their furniture and knick-knacks … Continued

Many of us are now, or soon will be, helping our parents downsize and move. Moving a parent is accompanied with unique challenges and emotions. And, one of the most difficult and trying times in life is losing a parent. The grieving process also often includes the horrendous task of sorting out and moving the cherished belongings from their home. I have experienced all of the above and it is a roller coaster of emotions.Not only is there the task of sorting through a home lived in for decades, the task is compounded with item-by-item decisions: what stays, what goes to the parent’s new home, what goes to your home and to your siblings’ homes, what goes to storage and what goes to charity; all enveloped with the deep emotions that come from saying goodbye to a lifetime of belongings … Continued