Is that a keepsake? Part 1: How old is your child?

What is a keepsake? By definition it is something kept or given to be kept as a memento.

In the homes of our clients, Gretchen and I find boxes of keepsakes. Our clients say, "I'm keeping this for my daughter or son." Our next question is, "How old is your daughter or son?"

Wondering what we would advise you to do? Answer these 3 questions:

1. How long will the child continue to live in my house?

2. At what age will I expect to give the keepsakes to the child?

3. Who is making the decision about the keepsakes?

First of all, you must consider space. If you are collecting items at a rate of 1 box per year, you could have 18 boxes of keepsakes before the child departs for college. We suggest that you limit the space for items to the child's room.

Second, consider a realistic time for passing keepsakes along. Most children will be in their mid to late 20s before they settle in a place and are able receive, use, store or honor keepsakes. 

Lastly, who decides what goes into the box? If you are making the decisions, then most likely they are your keepsakes. Your keepsakes should be honored or stored in your space. Involve your children in the decision-making process of what to keep. If children do prize the items stored, they will not have a connection and may not want them after all. 

~Amy 

What's Coming in Your Door?

If that is coming in, what's going out?

When you bring something in, take something out -  monitor your drawer, in your closets, in your files, your mail, your bookshelf, your child's schoolwork...the list is endless.


If you buy three new pairs of socks, get rid of three or even four old pairs.  Once you develop this habit, you will be amazed at how it cuts the clutter in your life, and not just paper, toys, and clothing.  Use this strategy to break bad habits, improve your nutrition, and even develop healthier relationships.


~ Gretchen

How Tos for your To Dos

What's on your list?

Keep your "to do" list ON your calendar, not "in" your calendar but "on" each individual day.  As you go through daily tasks and appointments you stay on task and on deadline by designating a scheduled amount of time to complete each task.  This habit forces you to evaluate how long a task actually takes and whether you need to delegate or edit your "to do" list.  For instance, you may discover that your time is worth too much to drop off and pick up the cleaning and that is well worth the gratuity to have it delivered.

Shoes don't last forever so don't keep them forever.

When you get a new pair of fitness shoes put the date in an inconspicuous location where it won't wear off.  If you are an avid runner you must replace your shoes frequently (as often as every 3 to 6 months).  Putting the purchase date on each pair will help you keep track of which pairs need to go.

Yard Sale Preparation - Tried and True Method

Price and Place in Box

The hardest part of a yard sale is the preparation. Procrastinating makes it so much worse and ensures you will be exhausted when you raise the garage door bright and early Saturday morning. To avoid "sale set-up" hangover try the following tried and true method.

Well in advance of the sale (maybe 2 months) place a medium size box in a prominent location in every room in your house. Put the box by the door.

Place a couple of sheets of pre-priced yard sale stickers in each box along with a Sharpie or marker. If you are not familiar with yard sale stickers you can find them at any "big box" store. They are a must because they take the thinking out of pricing your items.

As you go about life in your home leading up to the time of your sale, recognize items you are not using or have lost interest in. Each time you see one of these items, go to the box, choose a price sticker, price the item and leave it in the box. Really try to purge, but don't get stressed about it because you will have a chance to take items out of the box before the actual sale. Hopefully by then you will be fine with letting it go.

When a box gets full, close it, label its contents and take it to a designated place in the garage. Be sure to put another empty box in the room! By sale time you will have a trove of already priced items that you can simply spread out on tables. Typically they will be categorized already because each box will represent an area of your home. For example the kitchen box will be kitchen items.

If you don't want the hassle of having a sale, skip the stickers. Instead, use this method and give each of the boxes to charity when you are satisfied that you have removed enough from each room. This strategy is also great for editing your decor or de-cluttering in anticipation of listing your house for sale.