My Move/De-cluttering Journey

My journey began with a passion for de-cluttering, organization, and a deep desire to make a difference in people’s lives. With a background in marketing and a year of experience helping others downsize, organize, and manage estates, I took a leap to pursue what truly inspires me – helping others simplify their lives.

Eight years ago, I went from an organized home to chaos. As my family embarked on a long journey of renovations, our once orderly lifestyle became a whirlwind of clutter and tough decisions. Slowly, we worked our way through it, layer by layer, making choices on what to keep and what to let go. In our old home, the kids never had to ask, "Mom, where is this?" because everything had a place. But in this new space, as we shuffled belongings around for the renovations, nothing had a permanent home, and that question became all too familiar. Now, I’m on the other side, having reclaimed my space and experienced the transformative power of de-cluttering. This process wasn’t easy, but it taught me just how freeing it can be to simplify.

Reflecting on our move eight years ago, there’s one major aspect I wish I had approached differently. With two kids, ages 12 and 9, I packed up everything — from toys and clothes to storage items and our master closet. I wanted to stage our home for sale, so I quickly moved all of our belongings into boxes without truly de-cluttering. If only I had known then what I know now! In hindsight, I realize that I simply “stuff-shuffled” from one house to another, just like we sometimes shift clutter from one room to the next without truly dealing with it.

We were on a tight timeline: our home sold in just two weeks, and we had three weeks to move out. We’d lived in that house for almost a decade, so packing up everything was overwhelming. Looking back, lesson number one was not de-cluttering before the move. I wish I’d used the techniques I’ve since learned, which would have made the transition faster and smoother. By failing to de-clutter, we ended up dragging excess belongings with us. We didn’t unpack some of those boxes for over a year, and by then, the kids had already outgrown the clothes and toys I’d so hastily packed away. Lesson number two: I should have sorted through their toys and clothing, letting go of what no longer suited them, rather than carrying it all to the new home.

Lesson number three was packing up all my décor. Had I only kept the pieces I absolutely loved, I would have saved time and space. Instead, I packed it all, not fully understanding that I was cluttering my new home before even moving in. Finally, lesson number four: having less is truly more. Even though I carefully labeled and photographed each box, I was still faced with the frustration of navigating through too much stuff. De-cluttering would have lightened our load, saved us years of sorting, and ultimately brought us peace much sooner.

It hasn’t been an easy journey, but as I near the end, I’ve realized that de-cluttering is like peeling an onion—layer by layer, things get better and better. You start to see the end in sight, and it becomes clear how valuable a simplified space truly is. Keeping a manageable inventory at home is essential. Even if we don’t consciously realize it, we carry a mental inventory of our belongings, which can be incredibly stressful and overwhelming when it becomes too much.

De-cluttering has made my life easier in so many ways: it’s simpler to keep the house clean, a quick five-minute pickup actually works, and I no longer feel stressed about guests coming over. Most importantly, it has freed up my time for the things I love—whether that’s SUP, skiing, or hiking in our beautiful area. I now wake up to a calm, inviting, and stress-free environment, which has been the most rewarding part of this entire process. The stress is gone, and so is the guilt of holding onto things “just because” or from feeling obligated to keep gifts I don’t need. My life is truly transformed for the better.

Don’t get me wrong, I still de-clutter regularly, but it’s so much easier now. When I find something that’s no longer serving me, it’s effortless to pop it into our dedicated donate box, which has a place in our home. De-cluttering has made my space—and my life—so much lighter.

This experience has deeply shaped my approach to de-cluttering and organization. I want to help others avoid these pitfalls, making their own transitions smoother and less stressful.

At Simplify Life Your Way, I want to help others find that same sense of freedom. I believe de-cluttering is like peeling an onion; it has many layers, and each layer brings you closer to mental clarity and peace. My mission is to help others navigate this process with compassion and practical solutions so they can experience less stress, more time, and a renewed sense of purpose.

Whether you’re facing a home renovation, move, downsizing, or simply seeking a fresh start, I’m here to guide you every step of the way. Together, we’ll create a space that supports a simpler, more fulfilling life.

Join me on this transformative journey. At Simplify Life Your Way, I’m not just offering a service – I’m offering you the gift of time, mental clarity, and the freedom to live with less stress.