8.20.2020
During this pandemic, overwhelmed is the word that keeps coming to my mind. We are overwhelmed by Covid-19, changes in our economy, changes in our workspace, and our homes overall. We have been quarantined to our homes and spending way too many days looking at our own four walls, if we can even see them through the clutter! I believe that many people have taken this opportunity to try to reduce the clutter in their homes in an effort to simplify their lives or to accommodate family members working from home or taking classes remotely. Some have had great success and and others have struggled and realized that this has created more challenges, as many donation facilities have closed due to Covid. Some people are probably looking at their homes and thinking, “what a hot mess this place is!” This reminds me of a show that I have enjoyed watching on HGTV called Hot Mess House.
In this show, organizing expert, Cas Aarssen, assists families by helping them organize their spaces virtually. While many people watch the show and are surprised by what is stored in the basements and closets of her clients, I see it as something I have helped many with time and time again. These are real life challenges that everyday people face. Often, we don’t know what to do with an item so we simply tuck it out of site and therefore, it is out of mind. In order to help families, I talk about the origin of their items; Why do they have it in the first place? Was it something that was passed on to them by a family member and they feel obligated to keep it? Was it a deal that was just too good to pass up so they gave into the impulse and bought it even though they didn’t need it? Is it something that they are afraid to get rid of because they might need it ‘someday’? I commonly hear these reasons as to why clients have items tucked away. I help my clients by talking through each item and helping them to determine if it is something that they should truly keep or if it is something that they should bless someone else with. Knowing that your possessions are going to a new home where someone else may need and enjoy them makes it way easier to let them go versus simply throwing something away. I love how Cas determines the intention or zone for the space and then proposes a solution and organizing tools to make the magic happen. During recent work sessions, I feel like I have helped them make the magic happen as well. I have recently assisted with a garage clean out and now my client has the room to easily park her car in the garage and not worry about her car door hitting something or that her passenger won’t be able to open the door to get out. Another client had a temporary desk in her family room and needed a dedicated work space in her home. We were able to clean out her attic, move items from a guest room to the closet and attic and create a bright and cheerful office for her to work in! It’s all about deciding how you want to use the space and then removing the items that don’t belong there and to create the intended use for the room.
I hope that this blog sparks an interest to watch “Hot Mess House” on HGTV and see for yourself what it is like to work with an organizer whether it’s in person or virtually. Know that if you are feeling overwhelmed with your space, you don’t have to tackle it alone. I can help you by working with you side by side or virtually. I can make the magic happen and would love the opportunity to chat with you about your challenges. #hotmesshouse #hgtv #casaarssen #spacetoembrace
Photo: HGTV