Whether you have heard about Marie Kondo’s book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, or have seen the trailers for her Netflix series, Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, there is no mistaking that Marie Kondo will have a lasting influence on the way many people view their material possessions. The KonMari Method, Marie Kondo’s custom style of decluttering and organizing, helps you keep items that spark joy and eliminate everything else. If the thought of a certain closet or drawer creates stress, it’s likely you need some Marie Kondo in your life. If you don’t have time for a Netflix-binge, consider this your cheat sheet to KonMari your home. Continue reading
Find yourself laughing whenever a house-hunting couple on TV lists a mudroom as one of their must-haves? It’s my second favorite bit of ridiculousness on those shows (the first is the absolute need for a guest room when the entire viewing audience knows that no one is ever going to visit the family who just moved a $2,000 plane ride away).
The reality (not reality TV) looks a lot different.
Many city dwellers are lucky to have a coat closet or landing to stash their shoes. And those of us who live in the suburbs or somewhere without shared walls may have the space for a mudroom, but it may be overrun by laundry…or plastic kids’ vehicles…or it’s been turned into an office/gift-wrapping station/storage.
Practical Chicagoans, here are some simple and stylish alternatives for storing and organizing your winter gear. Continue reading
Getting your home ready to sell sounds like sunshine and rainbows. That is, until you are about four hours into the project.
How do I know?
I just moved six weeks ago…with my family of six.
Our journey started out like this: “honey, this neighborhood doesn’t suit us anymore. Wouldn’t we love to have lower taxes, less home maintenance and save more retirement money?”
So, we hired a real estate broker, and within 72 hours, I had our home picture-perfect and ready for photographs and showings. Continue reading
Most homes could use a little spring cleaning and organization. Some look like candidates for the next episode of Hoarders.