Tip to parents who are storing stuff for your adult children: Every time they come to visit have one box of stuff for them to go through and make a decision to donate, toss, or take back to their own home. It took a few years but I was able to get my daughter to go through her stuff one box at a time. Now she only has one fleece pullover and one pair of pajamas at our house!
I loved the fact that you gave Jackson's mum time to go through her things and let her get rid of them her way. Decluttering has no time limit, just starting is the big thing. I really liked this video and look forward to more.
Yes! So comprehensive 🙏🏻❤️ when I was little my aunt came to our house to deluctter because my mom had severe depression and my house looked like a hoarder's, but she always put a lot of pressure and stress over the whole thing that we got some sort of trauma about cleaning and decluttering. This is just the way I wish somebody would have approached the situation and us back then, and it is also very motivating now that I'm in the process of decluttering more stuff in my house (it's not as bad as it came to be, lol, but it still needs to get relieved of a lot of old stuff that no longer works here).
I am 74 years old so I may be about the age of your mother-in-law (?) and I was very pleased to hear you speak with so much respect of items that she has been hanging on to that were perhaps given to her by her mother and so has great sentimental value to her. I can identify with an older person who wants to keep an item solely because of where that item came from. My husband died 12 years ago and I had great difficulty getting rid of his clothes even though clearly neither I nor anyone else in this house could use any of them. I finally boxed them all up and put them in the trunk of my car and told myself I would just drive around with them in the trunk and maybe someday I would be able to drop them off at Goodwill and if not... if I still had them a month or so later ... I would just bring them back in the house and keep them for a bit longer. I think I drove around with them in my trunk for about two weeks and finally one day I just pulled into Goodwill and dropped them off. I was amazed at how basically trauma-free that action was. I had to face the fact that I was getting rid of his clothes but I was NOT getting rid of him or of his memory. After all this time of his being gone I still think of him every day and miss him a lot. Honestly though, I do NOT miss his clothes. Thanks for sharing this process with us. Great video!
Pro organizer here. With almost every client and especially my senior clients I recommend spending the money to put in pull out drawers on the base cabinets.. They are hard to access and things in the back go in there to die. It is a huge accessibility issue and totally worth the money.
I just turned 63 this past Oct 30. My 4 children are in their 30's. As a minimalist, my children are not going to have to deal with my 'stuff'. I've cleaned out too many relatives, as well as friend's parents homes, and it's been a real wake-up call to my/our relationship with our 'stuff'. For example, my 'wardrobe' consists of 7 tops and 3 bottoms (last winter, I had 3 tops and 3 bottoms! I 'splashed out' at the thrift store and bought 3 more tops) 2 pairs of boots, one pair of shoes and a winter coat - every piece of clothing that I own fits into one suitcase!
This past winter I helped my best friend's parents move out of their home that they had lived in for the past 35 years. Part of my role was honestly just to sit with her mom and help her go through all of her memorabilia she'd collected over the years as a tour photographer, letters and cards and things she'd inherited from her parents and sister - it definitely was a process but letting her sit with things she wasn't sure about (just like you mentioned! ) and listening to her tell stories about where or how she got things really helped her decide if she wanted to keep items or if they could be passed on. Please pass along our thanks to Jackson's parents - its never easy opening your home to strangers and we understand they have three people working from home during a pandemic ❤️❤️
More precious than the makeover is the tender way you care for your mother-in-law's heart. I don't think any of us will look back on 2020-2021 and say, "It wasn't that bad." It WAS. Your words and tone are so patient, affirming, and encouraging. Bravo. I hope she is able to feel it as well as she "sits with things for a while" and basically has every single item/choice evaluated as beneficial or negative to the vision she hopes to create. Keep it up!
SO REFRESHING to see the real process, and NO SHAMING. This is family being real family :) You ROCK !! P.S. I do really appreciate that tool drawer organization!
As someone in your in-laws’ age group (I’m 69), I found this video really resonated with me. Even though my home is neatly organized and everything has its own specific ‘home’, I still look around and imagine how much work it would be for my daughters to help me downsize my 1100 square foot ranch if they had to help me move to assisted living someday. I, too, have lots of art supplies (I paint watercolors and have tons of paint supplies and frames), but my biggest stash is of decor items stored neatly on shelves in a small storage room in my basement that I can use when I want to change out my spaces-things like pottery and vases, lampshades, different style lamps, statues and table decor, bedding, Xmas decorations, three bookcases of paint cans that are still mostly full, kitchen items too big for my available kitchen storage (my kitchen is even smaller than your in-laws’), seasonal stored clothing that I switch out because my closets are literally only large enough for a hefty man to stand in, suitcases, emergency pantry and ‘go bag’ supplies, canning equipment-well, you get the idea; it all adds up!! It feels overwhelming to think of going through everything. (Oh, and I have already downsized my books from ten full bookcases down to three!). It’s great that you are helping your family members in such a big, decluttering project for them. Trust me, one’s energy and stamina declines after 60. Best to manage clutter and minimizing personal belongings all through your life so that at the end, letting go of possessions is not such a monumental task.
@@janebaker4912 Eu pretendo fazer a limpeza da morte para não deixar tralhas,sujeiras e imundicies para meus familiares,parentes e vizinhos. Sómente o que for bom útil e agradável ficará para lembranças ou doações a quem quiser desfrutar do que restar do meu eu que se vai.....
Such a lovely gift. I did this for my family and my mom was so resistant but was happy with the final results. They needed the room to use a walker. With getting older, we were very conscientious of any tripping hazards and the clutter was dangerous to their health.
That’s the reason why my husband’s granny (93) has to downsize her clothes. And - benefit - we actually need her wardrobe (one of two) now. We will get a dresser for her instead that’s not so deep. I think that she is able to give things to us makes it easier. I even wear her old knitted skirts ❤
OK, Long Time Watcher, First Time Commentor: I JUST started watching this video and I am FREAKING OUT over that HUGE pile of Franciscan Ware in the Apple motif! I have my Grandmother’s Desert Rose set & have been adding on over the years! I know from filling out my own set, Franciscan Ware still has a semi-cult following. There are DEFINITELY collectors out there who would give that set (or parts of that set) a loving home! Keep Up The Good Work!
Wow! That’s a lot of work. I am working on downsizing our stuff. We have a 2400 sq ft house. Our children are adults, one living with us. Another has a decent amount of stuff here still, but it’s slowly being gone through with the child not in the same city as us. My husband, while not a hoarder, does not want to go through stuff, but I realized that he just needs me to do the physical work and bring him the items to sort. He tends to get rid of a lot that way. Whatever works! My goal is to be ready to downsize at some point in the future. We are approaching our mid 60s and I want to do this while I am still physically able.
My parents are in their early 70s, my mother starting decluttering their house a few months ago and just said I'm doing it now cause when I'm gone it'll all just go! It's a big house but she's getting through it
You and Jackson are so thoughtful and understanding of the decluttering/organizing process. Going forward, I'm going to learn from you two when I help my Mom (who is 99 years old) declutter her "treasurers". In the past, I have not been understanding or kind. Thank you.
You are so blessed to have your mom. I'm getting older and slowing down some. I think my daughter is slowly coming around to understanding this part of my life, and that she does in fact have to be more patient with me. . I find that I take a bit more time to think about some things now days. My reactions seemed to have slowed down a bit too. I kind of feel like I did 20 years ago, but, I understand how much more slower I've become. I hope you have fun sorting things with your mom. ☺
Congratulations to all of you! To your mother in law for tackling this and being brave in opening her home to us, to both you and Jackson for your hard work (and the tool drawer 😉). And to you for moderating the video in a way that is empathetic not only to her but to everyone watching. After all, we all have things we struggle to let go for various reasons. Kudos.
We are retired and planning to move next year. I really like the idea of just putting all the things on tables outside! Brilliant, so much better than trying to do it in a dark, depressing basement. Looking forward to the rest of this series.
My elderly parents have TWO garages that look 10x worse than this one, even. And a "storage room" in the house, and two storage sheds outside. They don't even realize it is an issue and refuse any offer to help them deal with it now. It will be my future nightmare to deal with.
Get friends to help. Or hire someone. Don't be overwhelmed. We've done this at my father's house this past summer. He needed a clean out & new carpet, and other remodeling. He's 92. The only thing left to go through is the attic.
One thing I do love about America, driveways and garages are so common! Even though I’m the type of person who SHOULD live small, because I will fill the space with crap, it’s very nice to have space to do projects, hold stock (if you’re a small business) and just store seasonal items - or even an extra fridge! That is a HUGE garage! I As a Brit, we could never.
I think it so nice of you two to help your parents with this. I now from experience it can be very emotionally challenging, esp. because we don't attribute the same value to things. The approach of let her do the decisions is a good way to go I think. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series. You already did such good progress :)
After downsizing my own parents and grandmother (we are in our 60’s) and stemming the flow of possessions in, we turned our energy to doing this while we can for ourselves. Every photo has been digitally saved ( check your area our photography shops do flat rate for whatever fits in a shoebox and have sales. Sorting them digitally took three years and let to starting to combine with old family tree stuff and fun with extended family.
All of this is GENIUS! and much needed advice, kindness, and flat out direction of what to do. As a Gen X parent, buried in all of our years of accumulated fodder, I thank you x’s infinity clever girl ❤️.
Oh goodie! A make over of a lovely little home and the making of a creative space for Mama Jackson to work in. I love it! I agree with you a hundred percent on the beginning of the garage - there's just little option but to start by dragging things out - when a space gets filled up with strata upon strata of items all representing different people and interests and events - peeling back the layers and getting everything out to have a good look at what's what is very helpful. I loved the clear spaces after organising and can't wait to see the next step in the remake.
As you organized garage and item to sell would have been great to have one person categorize items ,take photos and immediately post on market place, craiglist and or ebay.
Thank you. Thank you for being so gentle with this. I'm trying to declutter my house today--a family home, Dad lives here, my cousin had lived here and moved out without taking his stuff. I'm the one going through this. This is a perspective that isn't often seen--generations of family items, all sentimental. I don't have words, just thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for approaching this with love.
What an amazing accomplishment so far! And so sweet of Jackson's parents to let us into their home to see it all happen. You are doing such a great job! Can't wait to see more of this.
Oh my gosh this is just sooo cool...all of it...first your inlaws are sooo lucky to have such a wonderful son and daughter in law. I am 71...pushin 72 real close and I am all by myself doing what I can. I have been decluttering for 3 years and still decluttering. I love the fact that you gave your mom in law the time to "sit with it"...to decide what to do with things. I did that also and in almost every case if not every case I was able to let it go in either a day or a few days. Everything you did is just beautiful!!!
After a few months of lockdown in the UK I noticed nearly every house in my street had a pile of decluttered stuff waiting for collection in their front space, so i totally get this!
This is awesome!!! I love love love decluttering!!! If all people will declutter the world will be a better place lol. But seriously we don't need tons of money to makeover our spaces. We just need to keep it uncluttered and organized. And it will help with our mental and emotional health too. Love TSD!!!
Starr, oh please come with your beautiful attitude and help me, like this beautiful couple helped their mom/mil! I would pay!!!🤗 I hope this much needed service sparks businesses everywhere! So many of us need this help. The mental relief alone is immense.
That is one seriously AMAZING garage space. I am watching this series of videos in order, and I look forward to seeing the progress as it happened. I have personally been downsizing and decluttering consistently for the last several years. I was never a hoarder, but I used to attach a great deal of sentimental value on things that had belonged to my parents or grandparents. I realized that letting go of things has not diminished my love or happy memories at all. Now I get a bigger “buzz” whenever I can clear out more things than I have ever gotten by buying more stuff!
Staples or some other similar company will take all the photos and digitize them and give them back to you on a jump stick or whatever. I did that with all my grandma's photos and was able to give a copy to each of her kids
I sold all of my sis in laws' possessions for her after she moved to the US and didn't want to come back and I sold/gave away 80% of my hoarded house over 5-6 years on FB marketplace and some on eBay and honestly if I hadn't needed the money I would have just donated my items because the effort it took was not worth the money I got for it. You get about 1/4 of what you think you will get for it. If they have genuine collectables then I would recommend asking an auction house to deal with it for you as you have such a large volume & likely to attract a good audience through the auction house. Otherwise, you have to do the work attracting the right people and it's exhausting!
Good on you for taking this on at your age. It's a lot harder when you're near retirement age, your parents are in their 80s or 90s, and every single object has some emotional connection to someone in their lives who has passed on.
I've said this before - April, you come off so genuine- through all your #TSD videos you seem so compassionate! Not just on organization and interior design but for the people you are helping/working with.. I'd like to believe that feeds your passion ;-) Good on ya!
OMG!! THOSE JADEITES!!! and seriously there are so much treasures in the house and it is amazing to see the intentional organization, rather than just getting rid of everything. Thank you! It's beautiful.
I just came up from my basement. My parents stuff, each of their parents stuff and my uncle that was disabled but I was responsible for,his stuff. My two adult children's stuff. And I'm on my own. I so appreciate your understanding of your MIL's needs. I don't have that.
This is my first time watching your channel. What a blessing you two are to your parents. I would love to have this kind of help. Your “no judgement”attitude shows how much you value your husband and his parents. One thing I would recommend is when you are moving your camera from one place to the other, or when you are panning a whole area, it would be easier to watch if you slowed down. Thank you for sharing this labor of love with us. Also tell your mother in law she did great!
Ommgggg the spices! I was at my grandmas looking for ground ginger. I found it. The bottle had an older design but I just thought oh it’s just designed that way. I opened it and it didn’t smell. Ginger is a STRONG smell. I looked at the date. Why was it from 2006?!
This is so similar to what I’m going through. Except I’m still waiting for my son’s fiancé to let me know when she can begin to help me declutter. That is so nice of you to give your mother in-law the time to let things go & the respect to understand to keep sentimental things. Had to subscribe.
I get about 10 minutes into each of your videos before I have to pause and go find a cabinet or drawer to declutter. I grew up with parents that kept so much stuff "just in case", and I really just don't want to be that way. There's always something that can go! 😊
That's a great table, the one to be hauled out. Very heavy duty. If I lived nearby I would purchase it for our barn for it's usefulness. Definitely sell if you can't use it as a work table :)
Dude. DUDE. Tell her that she’s absolutely right to keep the jadeite and find a way to display it. It looks like she has a GORGEOUS collection and people go crazy for jadeite. I only have a pair of teacups and saucers myself. Yay for mom!
:) It's stunning isn't it!? We actually did find a place for it that you might like to see: dining room: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-v7wTZ7YqWB4.html modern twist: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-oelsMkT6Rn0.html
Actually, the peanuts pictured are made from potatoes and are eatable. My mom used to pop them in her mouth if we have a friend visiting just to freak them out. He, he. Love the "sitting" idea. I end up getting rid of more when I do it in stages and "sit" with it.
Kiddos to your MIL for starting this. My parents are in their 80s and have interest in this and plan to leave to us kids after their gone to deal with.
My mum has decided the same, she is a hoarder and knows it, last time I helped her move we found a box that contained over 50 pairs of scissors!! She kept the all and that is just one box.
Excellent job editing all that together. Great project. Good plan of action. I look forward to watching your processes .... and the amazing results of course ....
Yes and we triple checked. She wanted privacy and didn’t have that with 3 people in the house. And she wanted to spread out and not be afraid to get the floors dirty. But we def plan to make t nice. This is just the first step!
Inspiration to get me motivated! I have a storage unit $$ sort out + my apartment needs to have a massive overhaul. Basically divide & conquer. Thx so much!!
Emotional processing is important. I invested in cloth diapers because we planned on having 6 children and it would cut down costs a lot! Well my body can’t have multiple children. I almost died 3 times during my pregnancy, delivery and postpartum. So we have one beautiful perfect baby boy. I had a couple of people ask for the diapers and I was just like nah not yet. Then a couple of friends we are close with and who have similar lifestyle to us asked about the cloth diapers and my husband was like let’s gift it to them. I started crying because I realized it was the one thing I was holding onto for my multiple children that we will not be having. I had to process the loss and it was hard. I am now gifting them the diapers but I am keeping a few that my son wore that I feel are very special. Who knew I would be crying over diapers. Haha
Both your parents and Jackson's parents are very lucky to have both of you. It was a great episode and i look forward to the next one. Tell Jackson's mom thank you. It took courage to let us come into her home.
As a former professional organizer, I watch your videos, and I like that you did not pressure her to do everything at once, it's a process, I commend you guys. However, I do keep certain duplicates of cleaning products that will actually be used, because having extra of these is " a good thing ' ,just IM O. Overall, it's a job well done. ( I never understood that silly cabinet over a refrigerator. USELESS. WHY do they do that? Lol)
Were you dancing to Def Leppard? I’m kidding! You look like you were having a lot of fun. What a job! Well done! I look forward to seeing the after video on Sunday! :)
So happy to be a new subscriber!! This series really resonates with me and I find your kindness and understanding shines through your narrative. Thank you for sharing!