We’re coming up to the time of year when the ring of the phone or a knock at the door means one of two things: the duct-cleaning people are in the area and rumour has it your ducts are filthy or someone is collecting for something to help someone else. Who hasn’t ducked down below window level, slithered past sight lines to avoid detection while suffering scraped knees and splinters because the wood floor still hasn’t been sanded, only to peek around a corner and find it’s your mom …
5 Steps to Conquering Fear AND Your Kid’s Clutter
I don’t care if you have three graduate degrees and a PhD in Metaphysical Philosophy – you can never be prepared for the fear that comes with being a parent. It’s the worst kind of fear, because it’s a special kind of fear that seeps into every corner of your life. The thought that our kids will grow up without understanding the importance of giving back or being charitable citizens? Activate fear response. When your teenager starts dating a guy named "Big Easy" she met at the movies? Fear. That …
Thrift Store DIY – Upcycled Mail Holder
Are you a thrift store junkie? I am. In a big way. I have major “stop the car!” moments whenever hubby and I are driving in a new town and we pass by the local thrift shop. I just can’t help myself. You never know what kind of treasures might be lurking in there for a serious bargain. One of my fave spots where I regularly feed my thrifting habit is Value Village (for you Ottawa folks, I love the one at Merivale and Baseline). Their prices are great, the stores are usually big and offer a …
Beating Back the Clutter
You know it's time for a good clutter purge when you can't walk a straight line through your square living room. Trying to maneuver through the clutter jungle in my house had become overwhelming and I was in legitimate fear of breaking a leg trying to reach the front door for the pizza delivery man, and while I like my cold beverages as much as the next person, I'm not willing to fall and be buried in a pile of clutter behind the furnace while reaching for the …
Organizing Your Closet 101
Remember those high-waisted jeans you wore when Kelly was dating Brandon, or Dylan, or Brandon and Dylan? Fashion may have come full circle since the 90s, but you’re never going to wear those jeans again because a) they don’t fit, and b) it’s time to move on. Let’s leave the acid washed shorts to those who were born after Ferris Bueller took a day off. There’s never a right or wrong time to purge our closets, but the beginning of summer is perfect thanks to warmer temperatures and a …