November 7, 2018

What To Do With Your Wedding Dress When Your Children Don’t Want It!

In my profession I have come across many boxed wedding dresses when purging and the same question is often asked from clients “what do I do with my wedding dress my children don’t want it.” I can totally relate to this question because as a woman who will be married 30 years in just a few days that has become my dilemma.

In 1981 Princess Diana married Prince Charles in one of the most elaborate weddings watched by millions on TV. Every girl thought it was the perfect fairy tale wedding and wanted to emulate it, including the famous dress! For the next few years every wedding you went to the bride wore what we called the Princess Di dress. When it came time for me to get married I also wanted that fairy tale wedding dress. The long train, sparkle and of course lots of lace. I know this sounds corny but it was the first dress I tried on and I knew it was THE dress. I tried on others but kept going back to that dress.

Now lets talk about those sleeves! Back in 1988 there were no cell phones, internet or social media so everything you saw was in magazines or on TV which leads me to the puffy sleeves. They were everywhere the bigger the better. You didn’t own something that didn’t have shoulder pads they even sold them separately so you can put them in your clothes!
As my 30th anniversary was approaching I decided to open the box mainly for nostalgia reasons. Was it really that dated? The answer to be honest is yes! The sleeves are still huge and its anything but simple. Then I started doing what most people do I talked about how we can rework the dress if my daughters choose to wear it. We can take the sleeves off remove the extremely large bow off the back and so on. I have a photo of my wedding day in the living room (see below) and many times I gave my  daughters the speech on how we could redesign the dress and they both gave me a look like no were good, but thanks. I even tried to sell them on the veil but no takers. My feelings were not hurt because I realized my daughters will do what I did because times change, fashions change and your taste change.

If your ready to let go of your dress here are some suggestons that might make it easier for you.

Consignment
Do your homework and find out what the dress is really worth. Is it vintage or just dated? Don’t overprice it if you really want to let it go. This site gives you many options if want to consign.

Make Something New Out of Something Old
As the saying goes something old something new and these ideas are perfect to use as something old. Make a sash for the dress the bride chooses, have a piece made to add around the bouquet, make a hankie to tuck in a garter or sew a piece of your dress into the underside of their dress. If you are interested in more ideas check out this link on Pinterest .

Take a Whimsical Photo
I have seen so many great photos of people in their old wedding gowns. Be creative and it will be a lasting keepsake.

Turn Your Memory Into an Heirloom
Fabric from your dress can make a Christening gown for your grandchildren and can be shared for generations.

Donate
I saved this for last because I can here the gasps as I’m writing this. Donating to someone less fortunate will not only make you feel good but it will help someone in need. This site has great information if donation is an option for you. Just think you will be bringing new life back to your old dress and making someone as happy on their day as you were on yours.

Would love to hear any ideas you have to share!

November 5, 2018

How To Organize Toys for Preschoolers

One of the most important things you can teach your children early in life if you take something out when you are finished you put it back. This one lesson taught early can help avoid clutter and battles for you and your children as they grow.

One of my favorite ways to organize kids that are young and can’t read yet is to have pictures for them to identify where things go. As a mom of grown children I love organizing children’s books and toys because it brings back so many fond memories.

If you are ready to tackle the kids playroom follow these simple tips.

Purge items you don’t need or use. The most important step when beginning any organizing project is to purge. We started with the toys and books he had outgrown or doesn’t play with and put away some toys she could bring out later. We also set aside baby items to save if she decided to have another baby.

Sort before you organize. Sorting the toys was the next step to getting organized. We put like things together so I could make a list of what containers I would use and how many I would need.

Measure the space. Measuring although sometimes a forgotten step is crucial to getting the right products to fit a space. This project was all shelving and had great vertical space that we wanted to utilize for stacking containers.

Contain your items. I used these containers from IKEA because they are not only perfect for the space but inexpensive too!

Label the containers. My favorite part are these labels from The Container Store. I have used them before in several homes and garages but I have to say this was so fun and different using pictures as labels. They are self adhesive and come with the paper that slides right into the label holder. This is one item I buy in bulk!

This project was so rewarding especially when my client told me how much her son loved looking at the pictures and knew exactly where everything went.

How do you organize your kids toys?

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September 6, 2018

8 Ways Clutter Affects You and Your Family

As an organizer I have seen first hand how a disorganized environment can wreak havoc on a family. Many people minimize how clutter not only affects you but the people around you.

My mission is to motivate and inspire people to clear the clutter and help them enjoy a simpler life.

These are eight ways clutter can affect your life. Do any of these sound familiar?

Marriage

Has your bedroom become a storage area for items that don’t have a place anywhere else in the home? It is difficult to have a romantic relationship when your bedroom is full of clutter? Remove toys, unused exercise equipment, school projects, pictures that were never hung and piles of paperwork.

In my opinion your bedroom should be a place that you look forward to coming home to at the end of a busy day. A place for peace, solitude and romance. Clutter breeds the exact opposite and the master bedroom should be one of the first areas in your home where serenity begins. Once you have purged and you are enjoying your new space it will encourage you to move on to others areas in your home.

Children

Kids learn by example. Once the environment is free of clutter you will be surprised the positive affects it will have on your family. Children actually enjoy knowing that everything has a place and being organized teaches them skills they will need in their adult life.

Time for Yourself

This is one that people don’t realize until I point it out. When you elevate clutter it gives you time to do the things you enjoy without feeling guilty. Making time for yourself needs to be scheduled like anything else on your calendar to ensure it will be done.

Depression

Clutter causes depression! When you clear the clutter and simplify your life you feel motivated and inspired. No one can honestly say they enjoy a cluttered house. Start with one area in your home and you will feel the difference every time you pass by what was once a cluttered room.

Overwhelmed

When clutter is out of control people feel overwhelmed and don’t know where to begin. If you have reached  this stage and you are feeling overwhelmed don’t hesitate to enlist the help of a professional organizer. Sometimes all you need is a little help to get the process started.

Feeling Defeated

When you live in a house full of clutter one of the feelings that always surfaces is the feeling of failure. I should be able to do this myself, what is wrong with me? My answer is NOTHING! People start out with the best intentions and then life, work, kids and school take over. Make purging a priority and keep your surroundings simple!

Over Buying

How often do you hear yourself say “I was looking for that”.  How much money do you spend on buying more of what you already own because you couldn’t find something or see it? Simplifying, keeping like things together and having a place for everything will prevent clutter and over buying.

Health Issues

Living in a house with clutter can affect a persons health and most people don’t realize it until the clutter is gone. It can create dust, mites, bugs, mildew, trigger asthma and cause sinus problems and allergies. When you clean around clutter you are not really cleaning. The things you own should never be more important than the surroundings you are living in.

Clearing the clutter and getting organized will eliminate stress for you and your family and the results will be life changing!