Tag: #declutterexpert

“I believe in bringing out your (inner) beauty because your inner beauty is what everybody is attracted to.”   

“It isn’t always about makeup…sleep is #1 and your water intake.”

~Candee Caldwell

Makeup Artist Candee Caldwell talks to Deirdre about the importance of self-care before you put on any makeup.

  • Which feature Candee feels is the most important to accent.
  • The one piece of makeup you should apply if you are only choosing one.
  • Hints to feeling your best and most confident self.
  • Her goal when someone sits in her makeup chair.
  • How to choose makeup colors that work for each individual.
  • How Candee helps women re-entering careers, dating, marriage.
  • Does product price matter?
  • Favorite print shoots: Ethan Allen Interiors, Branson Emerson
  • The importance of volunteering

Favorite ice cream flavor:   Maple Walnut

Song reminds Candee of her youth:  ABC Jackson 5

Leisure time:  Enjoy family time, travel, walking, listening to podcasts, music

Do you have any events coming up?  October 3 Pink Aid

You can hire Candee Caldwell to show you how to use products you already own, in the privacy of your own home.

Contact info:  www.CandeeCaldwell.com or 203-470-3506

Thank you so much Candee for your time and knowledge share!

This episode is sponsored by DeClutter By Deirdre, A Senior Move management. Helping You and Your Loved Ones DeClutter, Move & Live a Fuller Life. Take a look at my website and contact me to work together.www.DeClutterByDeirdre.com 

**Download~Like~Positive Review Magnificent Aging**

Thank you for listening, I appreciate you!

“If we don’t take care of ourselves first we cannot take care of others” ~Tracy Brady

  • As a caregiver, always schedule time for yourself
  • Agency vs registry-which would work for you?
  • Services provided by non-medical agencies
  • Keep people socially engaged
  • Importance of agency employees:  safety, health, respite
  • How to deal with guilt and/or fear in order to get some peace of mind
  • How Tracy’s Visiting Angels agency works with individuals whose family lives out of state
  • Weigh the benefits of having someone come into your home
  • Make choices before you are forced to make choices under duress
  • How to manage care from far away
  • The importance of a care plan for the entire family
  • The advantages of Aging in Place
  • “Active Engaged Program” at Visiting Angels and Reading to Animals in Shelters
  • How Visiting Angels help your loved one needs to keep their dignity as much as possible
  • Call Visiting Angels regarding healthcare proxy, questions on where to turn for assistance with your loved one. They offer care and guidance.

Favorite ice cream: All of them

Off hours interest: Seniors and Animals, the Catherine Hubbard Foundation Senior Paws. https://cvhfoundation.org/the-sanctuary/animals/senior-paw-project/

To contact Visiting Angels: (203) 740-0230 and take a look at their website: https://www.visitingangels.com/brookfield/home

This episode is sponsored by DeClutter By Deirdre, A Senior Move Management and DeCluttering for Aging In Place Company. Helping You and Your Loved Ones DeClutter, Move & Live a Fuller Life. Look at my website and contact me to work together at DeClutterByDeirdre@gmail.com  www.DeClutterByDeirdre.com 

**Download~Like~Positive Review Magnificent Aging**

Thank you for listening, I appreciate you!

“It’s really important to start having conversations before a crisis occurs” Amber Chapman

Brandywine is located in the Litchfield Hills of CT in the heart of Litchfield

  • What to look for as you look at a community to live in
  • What type of questions should you ask when exploring a community?
  • Advantages of assisted living community
  • Lots and lots of events welcoming family, friends and communities
  • They have great food!
  • Individualized opportunities to engage or decompress alone.
  • A Transition Team helps you to adjust and feel comfortable quickly in your new home.
  • Assisted living community and memory care explained
  • Brandywine at Litchfield-a luxury living community
  • “Activities of Daily Life” explained
  • They have a chauffeur!!
  • What you should expect on your first day
  • “Aging in place and assisted living are not at all at odds with each other” Amber Chapman
  • “Escapades for Life”
  • How to pay for assisted living
  • Volunteering opportunities for residents
  • They are close to Arethusa Farm Dairy
  • Welcoming Captain’s Dinner

Testimonial for DeClutter By Deirdre

Ice cream:  vanilla

Outside interests: 4 kids & volunteering

Call Brandywine (860) 567-9500

Take a look at their website:  www.Brandycare.com to better understand their services and activities

This episode is sponsored by DeClutter By Deirdre, A Senior Move Management and DeCluttering for Aging In Place Company. Helping You and Your Loved Ones DeClutter, Move & Live a Fuller Life. Look at my website and contact me to work together at DeClutterByDeirdre@gmail.com  www.DeClutterByDeirdre.com 

**Download~Like~Positive Review Magnificent Aging**

Thank you for listening, I appreciate you!

Every home is a dream of its owner

If you’re a Baby Boomer, or older, your dream was to own your home.  Owning a home meant so much! 

It meant you were mature, and you could take care of yourself, 

It was a symbol of coming into your own,

That you were serious about a long-term relationship,

That you were ready to settle down and have children,

That you were committed to your job and wouldn’t be looking elsewhere for work.

You lovingly filled it with items you were given by friends and family, mostly big, brown furniture.  You cleaned it at least weekly and took pride in that.  It was “sparse”, but it was yours. 

Now, after the trials and tribulations life has thrown it’s looking a little not-so-clean.  The rooms are bursting with items collected but never passed on to those in need.  Most of your children or grandchildren are not so interested in the brown furniture and all the other treasures you hold.  It’s hard to maneuver around all the furniture and collections with a walker or wheelchair. Your eyesight isn’t what it used to be, and the unseen dust bunnies are gathered in the corner.  Suddenly, your dream is a nightmare and a burden. 

You can change that!  Get someone to help you whether you hire a team of people like we have at DeClutter By Deirdre or family and friends. In an afternoon your dream home will be changed for the better! You will feel lighter and that pride of home ownership will creep back in.

Imagine having friends and family over for dinner (that they bring, of course),

Imagine having more lighting in your home so you can see in dark corners,

Imagine furniture being weeded out so you can walk safely,

Imagine regaining pride in your dream home!

Contact me at DeClutterByDeirdre@gmail.com, we will resurrect that dream.

My client’s mom said as she was going through her items: “I have no idea why I bought so many of the same items when I don’t remember having bought them”.

Has that happened to you?

Are you even aware of this type of purchasing behavior?

This comment was a result of our DeClutterer realizing that she had over purchased slips throughout the years.  Instead of culling through and getting rid of the ones that no longer fit, had dried out elastic waistbands and were discolored from years of washing she pushed them to the back of the drawer.  Now, she was rightsizing her home, getting rid of the larger home 2 to 3 hours away from her daughter (depending on traffic) and she needed to downsize her prized possessions and necessities.

Mindless spending and purchasing happen to all of us at some point.  We don’t want to run out of an item or we know we have an event coming up but the fear of looking for and trying on that item tells our brain we need to buy another one and perhaps another one, “just in case”.  OR, we’ve been lulled into a purchase via the advertising of BOGO, buy one get one free.  There is no freedom if it’s taking up space in your closet or drawer or mind!

Take inventory before you purchase something that might be hidden in a drawer, try it on, look for signs of wear or age and get rid of it BEFORE purchasing one to replace it.  You might not need to spend money at all!

Take a quick peek at my website www.DeClutterByDeirdre.com for more.

You know, the one with your spouse and household family members about bringing your aging parent to live in your/their home.  Take a deep breath before you do this then understand as much as you can about what you are agreeing to.

This should not be a quick decision.  Talk to your family to get their opinion.  A lot of times family members will allow you to do what you want because it takes the burden off them.  Perhaps think about why they are allowing you to do this (and not them) and clearly understand their reasons because they are valid and perhaps you should consider them before making your decision as well.

This should not be done alone. You need support and will need to take breaks so set that up now.  Hire someone to relieve you daily.  There are many resources available both for free and pay.  Don’t wait until you are at the breaking point to get help, set that up at before your loved one comes to your home.

Talk to healthcare professionals treating your loved one.  Healthcare professionals have a clear understanding of your loved one’s health and what is required to attend to their needs.  These needs might not be something you ever anticipated as health deteriorates.  Physical and mental status changes come with their own challenges.

Preparation is essential.  Look at your home with an eye to the future.  Is there a 3-foot radius between furniture that a wheelchair could maneuver around?  Do you have stairs that will require a chair lift, budget for this now?  What about getting into the home, are there stairs, do you need to get a ramp?  Are there grab bars strategically placed in the bathroom? Are weapons accessible? and I don’t just mean guns, I mean items that can be used as weapons against you or someone else.

Communication is key.  Not only between you, your spouse, siblings, and family members but their extended network as well.  A quick conversation to the extended family will go a long way when your spouses’ family understands your spouse agreed to this arrangement and there’s no need for judgment.

Draw a line in the sand. Plan now as to when you will hand over care to someone else.  When the caregiving affects your family, your work, your mental and/or physical health.  When certain traits begin to show in your loved one. When certain equipment needs to be used for care. When friends and family tell you it’s time to make changes, you agree to listen to them.

This is doable!

Make it as easy as possible as soon as possible so your time together is pleasant and as stress reduced as it can be.

You won’t regret taking care of your loved one.

 

Imagine this…you recently purchased a new home and are moving out of your 5th-floor apartment.  You are excited to move to your new home because it means you have rightsized for your current life and it’s a little bit easier for you to see family and friends.

You’ve already washed all your new-to-you cabinets, drawers and bathrooms.  You’ve washed and polished the floors and had someone come in to professionally clean the rugs.  You’ve put your dishes, glasses, towels in their proper place.  You’ve got a small chair that fit in your car for you to sit on and you’ve taken all of the manageable pieces already.  You see your signature style popping through in your new dwelling.

You contact a “mover” to take everything out of your 5th-floor dwelling to your new home.  The “movers” arrive on time, 9 am sharp!  They hang the wall protectors on the elevator walls and head up to take your items to the truck.  This is the first time they’ve been to your home to see what you will be moving.  First up, the sleeper sofa.  They carry the sleeper to the elevator, remove the drop ceiling so it fits and…it doesn’t fit.  Now what?  The only way it’s getting downstairs to the truck is if they carry it.  Well, they decide there is no way they are going to carry it down 5 flights of stairs, so they leave.  No “goodbye”, no “we are sorry”, no “we will send someone else to handle it”.

This happened to someone my husband spoke to last week.  The person who was moving looked up help for moving, got a name, chatted on the phone, got a “good” price and set up a move date.  No one came to preview the job.  No contract, no deposit, no guarantee.  Therefore, the “movers” were able to walk away without a word or second glance when moving the furniture presented the slightest challenge.

Look out for yourself, especially during a high-stress time in your life (regardless if you are happy or not about your move).  Find out if the company is registered in your state.  Get a contract that lays out all of the rules, what you are obligated to do and what the mover is obligated to do.  Movers are highly regulated and if the price you get is significantly lower than a legitimate company, investigate the reason why.  Do not leave things to chance and take their word, I’m sorry to say that doesn’t work anymore.  Believe me, I know things happen and vendors might not be able to help you with what you need to accomplish in the end but at least they would tell you they were leaving and explain how they couldn’t fulfill their agreement.

Avoid stress, make sure they are legitimate so you don’t get caught in a debacle, create a peaceful life and contact me for tips on moving.

 

Decide on a housing budget based on the least amount of money you can afford

Get a map and narrow down the area of the country where you think you want to live.

Narrow that area to 100 square miles

Take a look at amenities in each town and how much they align with your interests

Explore areas of 3 towns that fit into your housing budget and interests

Visit the top 3 choice towns once every quarter to understand it’s seasons

Choose one town

Start Early, Good Luck, Contact Me if you Need Help!

You’re moving.  And, you’re moving far from your comfortable 5-mile radius.  In that 5-mile (or less) radius is your grocery store and you know exactly where they keep the brand of ice cream you love.

Your pharmacy where the pharmacist knows all your ailments for the past 20 years and which medicines work best for your ailment.

Your house of worship, why that religious leader knows what you’ve been through as your children we entering young adulthood.

Your mechanic, the one you trust to fix your car, just by listening to it, the proper way and not overcharge you.

Your favorite meeting spot where, as soon as you walk in the door, they are preparing your favorite drink for you without asking.

And your friends, the people you call when you need a ride, someone to chat with, someone to come over and decide which color you should paint the walls to go with your new furniture.

All of a sudden it hits you, you will be without your support system.

Where will you shop?

Where will you meet up with friends?

Where will you find friends?

Holy cow, that can be very scary!

Guess what?  You can fulfill all of these needs at your new home with deliberate social connections.  Get out of the house and start creating new social connections the first day!

Make it your mission to immediately find a new coffee shop that brings a smile to your face when you walk in.

Seek out a grocery store with exceptional service.

Drive by a couple of auto mechanic workshops and have a little chat.

Join a club where you can pursue social connections.

Finally, ReConnect Live with friends and neighbors from your former home, call them.

Moving changes an address, not a relationship.

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Are you storing obsolete technology equipment in your attic or basement?  If yes, you could be holding onto treasure or space grabbing junk!

It’s so funny to hear that saying that everything comes into vogue again in relationship to technology and it’s hard to believe in our fast-paced world of technology that it would apply but it sometimes does.  There are some people who like and miss the sound of the keyboards from the 80’s and they will pay for those keyboards, not many, but they are there if you wait.

There are also people who would like to own the colorful Macintosh’s so if you have that type of technology, pull it out and try to sell it or donate to a theater or local group who put on plays.  Let them store it and you will have the knowledge you helped someone out.

My guess is most of the technology you have stored are stored for a reason because it’s obsolete and you cannot use it so, recycle it.

Have your older storage drives, discs, tapes moved onto new technology if professionals can accomplish that for you.

The original faxes seemed to have disappearing ink so if you have very old faxed documents that you will need in the future have them saved onto a different technology before the ink fades.   Recycle the used fax paper that you no longer need but check about the shiny coated paper.

Continuously update all the data you have stored on technology as you replace it with new technology that way when you purchase new equipment, you’ll be prepared to recycle it instead of store it, saving you from a later headache.

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