Edit Your Belongings to Support Your Updated Vision

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Many of us find it difficult to part with possessions from a previous chapter of our lives, resulting in a home, garage, or storage area filled with outdated belongings. However, do these items truly merit occupying so much valuable space now? Why do we cling to things that no longer serve a purpose? How can we learn to identify and take action when our priorities and interests shift? And what are the consequences of failing to do so?

There are many reasons why we hang on to belongings. We think we may, at some future time, rekindle a past interest and will need those particular items again... Read the rest

Envision Your Next Home

Downsizing and Organizing How to Organize Packing and Move Preparation Unpacking and New Home Set Up No Comments

Many years ago, when I began my career as a Professional Organizer and Move Manager, one of the most powerful tools in my “toolkit” was to help my clients envision how they wanted to live in their space, rather than focusing only on their belongings. Whether they were moving soon, or not at all, this was an extremely effective way to identify what was most important to them, which in turn, helped them to make decisions about what to keep.

Below are some tips to help you envision how you want to live in your next (or current) home. Remember to focus on the space, NOT on your belongings!.. Read the rest

Things to do NOW if you are planning to move in 2022

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Are you moving this year, or thinking of moving in the next few years? Moving can be a daunting task, especially if you have a busy life or have lived in your house for many years. There are steps you can take NOW that will make things much easier when it’s time to move.

Please note that if you are moving in the next month or two and you are feeling overwhelmed, read our post about Moving Do’s and Don’ts, or better yet, contact us here. Our team can step in to provide help where you need it. To find out more about our team, see recent post here... Read the rest

The Move Makers are Certifiably Awesome

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Professional development is a very important part of our mission at The Move Makers.  Since our clients engage us to help them make important decisions about their personal belongings and navigate the process of moving and creating a new home, our Project Managers and Professional Organizers routinely earn professional certifications in several industry-related areas, the better to serve them. Here’s a snapshot of our achievements:

Operations Manager Rachael Langtry is certified as a SMM-C (Certified Senior Move Manager) by NASMM, the National Association of Senior and Specialty Move Managers. NASMM sets high standards and protocols for the senior move management industry, and, according to the NASMM website, an SMM-C certification “exemplifies an expanded knowledge of essential operation and client service issues unique to Senior Move Management.”.. Read the rest

Kitchen Chi – Feng Shui tips for Your Home’s Heart

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Feng Shui, the ancient system of laws that practitioners follow to direct energy into a home, is often applied to areas like the living room and bedroom. While you can’t really move around the counters and appliances in your kitchen like you can a couch or chair, there are still several ways to bring in the peace and energy flow to your kitchen space.

In our blog “Energizing Your Home with Feng Shui”, we discussed the elements of wood, fire, earth, metal, and water.  It’s easy to add these elements to the fixed nature of your kitchen through decor like lighting, paint, and decor. “The.. Read the rest

Is Your Home Ready for the Holidays?

Downsizing and Organizing How to Organize Productivity What are you Squirreling away? No Comments

If you’re gathering with extended family this holiday season, now is the time to take a good look at the entertaining spaces in your home, to organize and clear out the clutter to make way for a fresh start to the holiday season.  Let’s take a look at some of the clutter hotspots in the home.

Kitchen  

Pitch the scratched pots and pans –  throw out any scratched non-stick pots and pans, or donate any you’ve not used in a couple of years. Not only are scratched non-stick pans unsightly, they’re also unsafe to use.  Make sure your lids match the pots you’re keeping, and donate (or discard) the rest.  .. Read the rest

5 Helpful Tips for Getting Settled into a New Home

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First things First

When we help our clients with settling in, we focus first on comfort and safety. To us, this means beds made, first day toiletries and medications unpacked, necessary lamps and clocks set up, pathways cleared and the coffee pot plugged in. Moving is exhausting work and it is important to be ready for that first night in your new home.

Get Connected

If you are unpacking yourselves, we recommend getting technology, entertainment and communication systems functioning next. Listening to music, watching a show, and having access to a connected computer and printer all reduce stress and make the rest of the unpacking process more enjoyable... Read the rest

More Moving Do’s and Don’ts

Move Planning and Management Packing and Move Preparation No Comments

Last August, we brought you some Do’s and Don’ts for a move.  Some bear repeating and others are new suggestions for when you are considering a local, intrastate, or interstate move.  Understanding what to expect, and your role and responsibilities as well as those of the mover, can make the process run more smoothly.

DO the hard work of sorting through your goods and dispose/donate anything you no longer want.  Thinking “I’ll just sort it when I get there” means that you’ll pay extra in both time and money.  Interstate moves are based in part on weight, so you don’t want to pack unnecessary items you don’t need... Read the rest

Thinking Outside The Recycling Box With SCRAP Creative Reuse

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There are many choices besides the recycling bin or Goodwill for household items. One of the more offbeat places to take certain things to be recycled is SCRAP in Portland, a place where crafters, artisans, and teachers go for unique and perfectly usable items. 

SCRAP is a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide materials that have been already manufactured to be used for another purpose, often for creative reuse.  An example cited on their website are CD jewel cases transformed into birdhouses, or T-Shirts turned into a rug. It’s a fabulous place for teachers to get inexpensive supplies, and keep these perfectly usable items from the landfill... Read the rest

Energize Your Home With Feng Shui

Move Planning and Management Productivity No Comments

Employing the ancient practice of Feng Shui (“fung shway”)  is a perfect way to establish a fresh, vibrant energy in your new home or reset the energy in your current home.

The Move Makers Project Manager Paivi Panttila Vargas is a certified Feng Shui practitioner, and advises on the positive elements of the practice for those who have been in their home for some time, or wish to incorporate it into a new space..

“Creating a good energy for a new home makes it possible to get settled faster and unlock new opportunities for the new life phase,” said Paivi.  “Feng Shui and other methods like Vastu and Wabi Sabi are there to give you inspiration and guidance on how to look at your home in a new, deeper way... Read the rest