Did you see what happened in Texas? People experienced sub-zero temperatures, coupled with power outages and houses that were not built to be insulated. People queued for hours to buy food, they put blankets over their windows to trap heat and I even saw TikTok tutorials on how to heat a room with toilet roll soaked in rubbing alcohol, placed in a tin can and lit on fire… It broke my heart. It also got me thinking about how prepared I was (in Dublin, Ireland) for potential disasters… it turns out, not that well! While in Ireland we don’t get earthquakes, tornadoes, tsunamis and we’re far from ..read more

Does the sound of having people over right now scare the beans out of you? Maybe you haven't properly had guests (real life people) in your living room since last Christmas - it's a lot to think about! This pandemic has done a number on us mentally and socially, and if I'm being real with you, I've been challenging myself to go on solo trips outside of the house to work on my 'outside anxiety'. Last weekend I went to the Botanic Gardens to feed the squirrels and it was a real win for me. So, with that in mind, here are some ways you can prepare for guests in the next few weeks - which I talked ..read more

Do you leave things out by the door so you won't forget to bring them to your mum's house? Or do you keep your vitamins by the kettle so you remember to take them? You're in good company, because I too do best with my healthy habits when I have visual reminders. It's something that has come with my recent diagnosis of ADHD - a degree of missing object permanence when things are not regularly in view. The problem is though (as you are probably well aware) the more things we have out, the more cluttered our spaces get... and the harder it is to notice them! And have any space to make dinner... S ..read more

If Gollum was talking about the effects of clutter he would exclaim, “They stole it from us. Sneaky little * clutter objects *. Wicked, tricksy, false!” What did the clutter steal though? His time, his energy, his peace of mind… you know, his precious. In all seriousness though, while many of us put decluttering on the back burner for ‘someday’ (* hands up *, I have too!) - it has considerable and well-documented negative impacts on our personal well-being. Today I’ve gathered the data for you to see for yourself and hopefully get motivated to grab a bag and get to work. I’ve got your back ..read more

The aches and pains, a deep cough and a heavy decent of brain fog… a home antigen test in my kitchen confirmed it. I had Covid. The spicy, Delta variant too. I was banished to the master bedroom, trying to stay both warm and cool and unable to keep my focus on any show Netflix had to offer. Three days later it was my turn to be the nurse as my husband came down with the same symptoms and we began our two weeks of shrinking our world to as small as our little, inner-city townhouse. But, you know what? Living with less made a huge difference during our sickness, our recovery and the clean up aft ..read more

You need to pop out for a wee snackie after a hard day of emails (and meetings the could have been emails) and as you go to grab your bag from under the stairs, the strap latches onto the hoover and three coats and they all tumble to the ground. Sigh. It’s always a next time problem - the bags for the charity shop, the broken blender, the mop you haven’t used in three years - taking up your precious storage space and making you mildly miserable multiple time a day. Well, I finally tackled mine with the help of my saintly Dad who took away a lot of strange stuff from our mystery closet - there ..read more

You’ve really thought about it this year. You’re finally going to get the house in order, new year new you. 2021 here we come. We’re going to replace silly, stocking junk with wholesome, eco-friendly gifts. Outdoor adventures instead of video games…  But then you realise you are about to receive an onslaught of presents from friends, aunties, grannies and work… probably more this year to make up for the absolute state of 2020. You feel defeated! Gifts can be decluttered discretely and kindly, but it’s hard. Oh no, oh no, oh no no no no no (TikTok anyone?) [Photo by cottonbro fr ..read more

Have you ever been looking for more printer paper in the back of a drawer to find your long-lost expensive left-handed scissors? You think you’d be delighted, but in a pinch you’d already bought a new pair. I wonder are you baffled by the race up and down the stairs every time you have to leave the house because your keys have done a runner… and there are no masks left… and wait, where’s my wallet… You know the answer is giving things a home so you know where they’ll be. But… the trouble is putting things away. It’s boring. It’s hard. I’ve got you! Learn how to make yourself want to put things ..read more

Ironically I sneezed twice while I wrote the title for this blog post… I’ve been a bit sick this past month. You know what happens. Tables fill with tissues, creams and cold-compress towels to tackle sniffles and a growing rash that rivals the eyes and allure of Lord Voldemort (see below). Understandably, keeping the rest of the house free of clutter and crumbs takes a back seat. You’re in survival mode, and this can make you feel icky and defeated. It’s times like these you need a shortcut to get the house liveable enough to tide you over until you feel better. Here are three ways I’ve manag ..read more

You say you’ll do it someday, when you ‘get around to it’… we’re talking those phone snaps and attic boxes full of photo treasures. Here’s how I’ve cut through the photo overwhelm by curating annual family albums that give a snapshot of the year. Once you pick a theme and a deadline, I promise you, you’ll be off on a joyful adventure down memory lane. Now I say this while fully acknowledging that out of the last 6 years of our marriage, I’ve only made two albums… and have still to print a wedding album. But now I’m re-invigorated to get into it again. Decluttering is hard. We’re in this togeth ..read more