When my mother was born in 1939, her family were stateless White Russians living in Shanghai, China. In 1947, they fled the advancing forces of Mao Tse-Tung and ended up in Panama. That early upheaval shaped her life in many ways—including, I believe, her tendency to hoard.

It wasn’t too much of a problem when I was younger, but by the end of her life, we were debating whether she really needed fifteen colanders in various shapes and sizes. When she died late last year, her apartment was still filled with unpacked boxes from a move five years earlier.

So, we set to work... Read the rest

Here we are with the holidays before us. I’m writing this on Halloween, staring at my neighbors’ displays of skeletons and spiders. In a few short weeks, we’ll see pumpkin displays amid the fall foliage as we celebrate Thanksgiving. And then will come the inflatable reindeer and the life-sized Santas, along with light displays that make the neighborhood seem like fairy land.

But you can’t keep seasonal decor up all year. One thing’s for sure: organizing holiday supplies and decorations can be a game-changer, especially when it comes to preserving your sanity during the festive season. I asked Deborah U., client relations manager (as well as star art-hanger) at The Move Makers, for her advice on dealing with holiday décor... Read the rest

Downsizing can be both an exciting and daunting task, especially when moving from a spacious home to a cozier space. But with the right mindset and a bit of planning, it can also be a liberating experience.

As a move management company, much of The Move Makers’ work revolves around helping seniors transition from their long-time homes to new living communities. This often means moving from large houses with expansive yards to two-bedroom apartments with galley kitchens.

It’s always a challenge deciding what to take to this new living situation. We may have a book collection which we love, or china place settings from our wedding registry–a wedding that was sixty years ago... Read the rest

A basement, quite frankly, can be a boon or a bust. If you’re the lucky owner of a house with a finished basement, with a lovely media room for the kids, or a place for the pool table and a player piano on the side, count yourself lucky indeed. For many others, the basement can elicit more problems than pleasure—a damp and dingy space, a place where all the surplus household things go to hide.

Organizing such a basement can be a rewarding project. Imagine walking into a cool, calm subterranean oasis, where everything has its place and where everyone can cool down on a hot summer’s day... Read the rest