The clutter you stopped noticing is the scariest thing in your house My friend John's home in Los Feliz I’ve always wanted to experience a real haunted house, but I never have. My friend John has come close. He owns a 1920s home in Los Feliz that was previously owned by an elderly widower who raised four sons there. Decades later, the man’s flower gardens are still in bloom, a clear sign of how much he loved them. Over the years, John’s tenants have mentioned seeing an elderl

I was recently reminded of the memories attached to my childhood home when I connected with a high school friend on Facebook. We hadn’t seen each other in almost 40 years, but she said she thought of me recently when she drove past our home. It wasn’t until after the sale of that home that I realized the grief was associated with the end of that chapter.

“Stop dilly-dallying, Jolene,” my mother would say back in grade school in the 60s. Gasp… yes, I’m a boomer, and ADHD was not even our vocabulary back then, or at least not in a big way. I was probably procrastinating doing what I didn’t feel compelled to do, like the dishes or getting ready for school. But isn’t that all kids? On the other hand, I was always a perfectionist, and found that order was a way to feel in control.

“I love moving,” said no one ever. Moving is inherently stressful. There was a time in my life when a move was a welcome change. The feeling of a new beginning softened the disruption to my life that moving inevitably causes. When life was simpler in my twenties, I’d get a group of guys from work, and that would cost me a U-Haul, pizza, and beer. Regardless of whether the move is a lifestyle upgrade or one that is the result of less desirable life changes, it sucks to uproot

Simplifying the Steps to Organize Like a Pro You’ve probably seen them on Pinterest or Instagram—the closets we all dream of having. Matching hangers perfectly spaced, clothing arranged in a rainbow, and every item looking like it belongs in a Neiman Marcus catalog. But have you ever wondered what those closets look like during the chaos of trying on outfits or, even more challenging when it’s time to neatly rehang everything after they’ve been worn? Maybe you’re not striving

And Here is What to do Instead! I’m not gonna lie - I love beautifully organized spaces. Those Pinterest-perfect walk-in pantries inspire me to build one in my next house for all the food I can store and probably will never eat. Plus, all these social media pics and reality shows have made professional organizers like myself mainstream. I no longer get asked if my job is a “real job” and “do people actually pay you” to do it— however, social media and reality TV are not real