Our vehicles tend to collect items as we go from work to home, running errands and taking the children where they need to be.
Garbage collects, clothing, recycles, things that need to be taken somewhere and more. Although with the pandemic and the lock down your use of your vehicle may have changed depending on what you do. However, we are still using them and sometimes they are the last thing we think about as far as cleaning and organizing.
We have a collection of things we need in our vehicle; snacks, cushions for the dog, blankets for use with children, pets or just to protect the seat, hand sanitizer, masks, sunglasses, first aid kit and more.
A few minutes each day or week will save you time.
Here are a few tips to help you simplify:
Clear trash regularly, just take out at the end of day and have everyone else take theirs. I have a soft side trash receptacle in my car that just hangs on the shifter. This is great for small items such as tissue, candy wrappers, snack wrappers and more. Over the seat organizers are great for small children. They hang on the back of the front seats and hold activity books, crayons, snacks etc. Also just a small plastic bin with a lid on the seat is great. Small items like extra hand sanitizer, masks, sunglasses, serviettes, tissue - make easily accessible but in a small zip bag so it does not fly all over. Coins in a small container in the console for when you need them. Make your trunk area a storage place for reusable shopping totes, blankets, first aid kit, bottled water, sports equipment - put in bins to make compartments, makes it easy for cleaning and things will not move around so much Plan to clean regularly so that the air is clear of dust, smells and odours.
Taking care of your car not only makes it enjoyable for you to be in, but it sets a good example for your children and other people that ride in your vehicle that you take care of your valuable possession.
To successfully keep organized during a renovation,
it is best to prepare before the renovation begins.
Please, don't just start filling boxes and piling in a storage box, locker or basement.
Decide before you start where/how you are storing your items. Try to keep as much in the same area. Declutter; Sell or donate and items you do not want coming back into your space. Box items together you know you will not need during the renovation. i.e. decor items. Box and clearly label items that you may need to access during the renovation. When you place these boxes into your designated storage area, place them according to how likely or when you will need them. When you are renovating a kitchen or bathroom and you may need to set up a temporary kitchen or bathroom somewhere in the house. Be a minimalist when you do this. Accept that you don't need everything you currently have in these areas and only keep out the essentials. Plan to go over the expected end date. Plan for seasons change or other life transitions could happen during the renovation. Pack a separate box for the just in case items. For example, when renovating a bedroom or closets and the weather could change, make sure you have access to some weather appropriate clothing. Living in a renovation is disruptive, but it does not have to be overwhelming. Plan ahead, purge, and LABEL and you will have less stress and upheaval.
So, you are moving your parents to a retirement home. Whether a decision they have made on their own, or is it is difficult decision you have had to help them make, it is a time of reflection, loss and transition. The life as we knew it with Mom and Dad is changing.
So, you get the call; You know that Mom and Dad have been failing but you didn't realize how much. Maybe they are geographically farther away, they simply do not tell you to avoid worrying you, or possibly you just didn't realize how much they were failing. You find out that things are declining quickly. Maybe it's a situation where, one parent's mind is compromised and the other parent has severe diabetes. There are so many different possible situations. You are part of the “Sandwich Generation". The children are still working full-time and have busy lives. The adult children need to focus on what's going on in their own family, but Mom and Dad need them. Health care and personal care needs are in question. The retirement home search needs to begin, not to mention the long list of other needed care.
I often hear, “I thought that I would just take a week off and come home". OR “My siblings and I will get done what needs to get done will get them moved and get the house up for sale." In reality, there are so many things to do when you are moving your parents to a retirement home. First of all, you need to find out what's actually going on with mom and dad. Then, you need to look after their healthcare, find a place for them to move to, get all the paperwork in order, all while listening and talking and hearing your parents about their wishes.
We all accumulate too much stuff, whether it just be day to day newspapers, magazines, mail or the on going collections of things like antiques, books, salt and pepper shakers and more. So what do we you do with all the stuff? There will be items that go with them and then there will be items you and/or your siblings will want. After that what happens to the rest? Donate the items or sell the items? Personally, we like to repurpose, reuse and recycle as much as we can. We can sell items online or can do an online auction. We can donate to the people that we know will use it. For example, we know that animal shelters can use blankets, towels and laundry detergent. We know where to take men's and ladies clothes so they will get to those who need them. Household furniture, tools and garage items, can go to Habitat for Humanity. We have people to assess and buy coins, stamps, and other collections. The list of belongings can seem endless and if you do not know what to do with all these things it can be frustrating and time consuming. Then there is the photos, what do we do with them all? We suggest you go through them and get rid of all the ones that no-one knows the people ( yes this does happen), the landscape , the ones with the thumb marks and all the ones that just do not matter. One solution might be having them all scanned and put on a usb for each child and one for Mom and Dad. Then you can take Mom and Dad's usb and get them an electronic photo frame to enjoy. When you are moving your parents to a retirement residence you want to do this as easy as possible and in a positive way. You do not need to do it on your own, call us, get help and focus on the things that are important - Your parents, their stories and making their new life transition easy.
