What Value Do You Put on Being Organized?

Today's world seems to function as such a crazy, fast pace. It is very easy to lose track of time and things. Just as a little snow ball rolling down Mt. Everest, it slowly builds and builds, and builds ... into this monstrosity of a beast barreling down the slope out of control.

Lack of organization in your home or office begins very small. Maybe its just setting down the mail on the counter as you walk in the door. Perhaps you go change your clothes, start watching TV, or check on your 257 Facebook friends while the mail pile waits. Then you get hungry, make some dinner, get the kids to work on homework, check on Facebook again and get ready for bed.

Waking up in the morning you rush to get everyone out the door on time, grab your keys nearly knocking all of the mail on the floor (geez, that would have been a mess) and dash out to your car.

After a day at work, you nearly get hit by a teenager swerving while texting, you make it safely home. Grab the mail and as you walk into your home ... well, mine as well set it on the counter with the other mail.  You'll get to it later. BAM! Your little organizing snow ball has just begun.

Repeat this cycle a few days and you certainly have an organizing nightmare staring at you every time you get home.  Making feel overwhelmed, stressed and not the happy person you deserve to be.

My fellow professional organizer, John Trosko, who is the founder of OrganizingLA a premier Southern California organizing firm beautifully stated the value of our services:

"Some people wonder why organizers charge so much. Well, our fees are an amazingly value when you compare it to the time, effort & worry you encounter searching for something, not to mention the cost of having to replace an item you can't locate and the discouraging disappointment that comes from this circle. A professional organizer can help you get organized faster and more thorough than doing it yourself."

Being organized is an investment in yourself.

Sure you can focus and bring organization to your home, office and life all on your own.  Though if you are struggling, frustrated and ready to wave a big white flag, find a local professional organizer. We are here to help you love your home and office, again.  Get you out enjoying the fun in life.

What value do you put on enjoying yourself?

Our World Could Use a Few More Charlies

After helping "Charlie" with organizing his garage, he asked me to help his wife get her new apartment ready. I purchased new bedroom furniture, bedding and shower items for "Sandra," then returned to help get all her items put away.

During lunch, Charlie's wife began telling a bit about his life.

Charlie's father was a physicist who was in the US Defense Department working on weapons of mass destruction. Due to his father's responsibilities, Charlie spent his entire childhood under the care of the secret service. Bouncing from home to home, with a new last name each time he moved. WOW!

Sandra continued to tell how he ran off and joined the Marines at age 16. Ranking a Major in the US Marine Corps, Charlie fought in the Battle of Iwo Jima. She continued on with stories about their travels and hobbies.
I was in awe!!

Charlie gazed at his wife with such a loving look in his eyes. It was amazing to see a man care so very much about his wife. Not by anything he said or did, just his eyes. Stunning.

Sandra mentioned her back ached a bit. Charlie, speaking very slowly from the effects of his stroke, "Would you like me to arrange for a massage?"

In a flash, Sandra snapped back:
"Oh so now your gonna do something for me.
What the hell would I want anything from you? Your useless."

Charlie simply pursed his lips, nodded to me, his eyes broken.

"Sandra, why don't you eat your lunch so we can finish unpacking your room?" I stated in attempt to skirt what just happened.

Charlie went off for a haircut. Sandra and I went to her new room to get her items unpacked.

Charlie is an amazing man. He has told me he will always love his wife despite what her dementia is doing to her. My respect for Charlie grows with each meeting I have with him.
Hmmm ... funny, I randomly chose Charlie's nickname.
He is more than a good man. Charlie is a great man.

Sometimes what you learn from a stranger is priceless.

What have you learned from someone?

Everyone Loves Big Red Bows

Big red bows are the best. Period.

If you want to set the stage for happiness,
it might be as simple as a big red bow.

As a professional organizer, my goal is to help you love your space again. Whether it is organizing your home, office, garage, basement or junk drawer, my hope is for you to feel better about yourself because you deserve it!

Starting today ... daah da da dah ...

Organized Solutions can arrive at your home with a big red bow on the car. People have purchased gift certificates for friends, family & loved ones and I just haven't felt like we have done anything special to acknowledge or signify this gift.

But hey, I'll bust out the red bow for any occasion that you might feel the need. Heck, just even holding the big red bow makes you feel all tingly inside.

What little thing makes you feel special?

Water Fight War: Baskets vs Houseplants

Summer is here and time for a fun little organizing project that everyone can help with. Plus there is the potential for a little water fight.

"Mary" need some organizing help with some items from a recent move. Well, she moved about a year ago and is still working at unpacking and finding homes for all her stuff.

She has a large collections of baskets that have collected dust for sometime. I shared with her a Basket Tip:

Rinse them off with a little soapy water.

You can see how dull the baskets. Then after their little bath, the baskets are bright and shiny.

If it is a good wood basket, you should let the basket soak in water at least once a year so it doesn't dry out.

You can rinse off your houseplants by hosing them down outside then letting them dry in the sunshine. No more dusty leaves.

I even take the chairs my boys sit on at our kitchen counter and hose them off a couple times a year. (gets all the crumbs out of the cracks)

Next time you're trying to dust a houseplant, clean a chair or dust a basket, think about just getting them a little wet.

What are you going to hose down?

Good Bye Charlie

Two years ago I had an amazing organizing and senior move client, "Charlie." An amazing man who served his country his entire life and so passionately in love with his wife. Within a few months of his wife death, Charlie passed too. To a wonderful man. Thank you "Charlie" for all you have done:

"Charlie and Sandra" moved into their new senior villa about 8 months ago. Like many times, the move was very quick due to declining health reasons. Charlie and Sandra were unable to prepare or move themselves, and their family was unavailable. They relied on hired movers to pack and get their items to their new home.

Eight months have past and Charlie and Sandra still have a garage packed with items that have never been unpacked. Some items are keepsakes and collections lost amid the piles.







Both Charlie and Sandra use motorized scooters to get around, and all these boxes make it quite challenging. There are paths for them, though ideally these things need to be sorted and removed.

This was going to be another dirty job. Thought I would snap a shot of me in action - Bandana, respirator and ready to get messy. Some people think I'm crazy for doing these really gross projects, and this one was right up there with the best of the worst ones.

Then Charlie returns home after lunch, sees the amazing progress made in his garage and he begins to cry a bit. He tells me a bit of his story, how thankful he is for the amazing life he has had to date and the frustration he is beginning to feel for the loss of his wife whose dementia is becoming quite advanced.








At this point, I begin to forget all the nastiness of my job and I am thankful for being able to make a huge impact in Charlie's life. His garage is cleaned out, keepsakes found and collections safely stored. The majority of items and boxes were damaged and needed to be trashed. Those things that could be used were donated and three crates of canned goods will be taken to Cherry St Mission, a local food bank.

Couple hours into this project I did think to myself:
"I must be nuts for getting involved in this."

Though now looking back, it's projects like this that truly make me realized why I do what I do: Helping people feel better about life.

Why do you do what you do?

All Your Organizing Questions Answered Here!

"Ask an Organizer" is one of the most attended sessions at the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO)conference sessions. Yours truly was honored to be one of the 5 awesome women to share our wisdom to our fellow professional organizers. The questions asked were wonderful and shared a great deal of insight into client and business situations.

... which got me thinking ...

What questions YOU may have out there in blog world about organizing, downsizing, sorting, purging, filing, donations, moving, labeling, tossing, keeping, deciding and eating (well not really eating, though I can give my opinion)?

Lately it seems many questions and comments are being left at the Facebook Fanpage of Organized Solutions, which is great. You are invited to join, if you wish. Ask your questions here, there or send me an email. I will answer all your questions ... and I promise to be creative on the ones I have no idea.

So ...

What's your organizing question?

Making Downsizing Easier for Your Family

Being a professional organizer is my business, though my passion is helping your family when the need arises to downsize your loved ones as a senior move manager.

I was delighted when asked by Trish Krebs to be interviewed for Examiner.com. Below is the article or you can go here for the original publication:


Monroe organizer makes downsizing easier
for families of seniors in Michigan

Sorting through a lifetime of items to get favorite pieces into a new, smaller home can be a tricky process for seniors and the families who love them. Angie Weid, owner of Organized Solutions and rocket scientist, knows how to make that transition flow more smoothly for all involved.

With her down-to-earth approach, Angie is a neutral, yet animated guide through the sometimes emotionally-charged situation facing seniors and their adult children as they move. (And with a bachelor's degree in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering, she really is a rocket scientist!)

A member of the National Association of Senior Move Managers, Angie says, "I see where the person is and I listen to where they want to be, then I draw the line between the two." Having a professional organizer like Angie moderate the move process can be especially helpful for seniors who are facing medical conditions that limit mobility and energy, those who have accumulated a lot of treasures over the years, or those who have families that live some distance away.

"Life has a way of creating twists... I have no grandparents of my own, so I treat [my senior clients] as if they were my grandparents," says Angie. "We talk. We share our woes. I listen to my client's wishes and needs, and work to make them come
true."

Based in Temperance, MI, Angie primarily serves clients in Monroe, Lenawee, Wayne, and Washtenaw counties as well as the Toledo, OH area. However, Angie is "always up for organizing adventures" and has traveled as far as Dallas, TX and Chicago, IL to work with clients since opening Organized Solutions in 2004.

In the end, Angie knows she's done her job well for seniors and their families when a client says "Thank you for making my apartment feel like a home."

For more info: Angie Weid, owner of Organized Solutions and rocket scientist, can be reached at (734) 890-1276 or by email at angie@iorganizeyou.com. You can also check out her website, read her blog or find her on Facebook and Twitter. She is a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers.

Thank you Trish for a great article!
You ROCK!!

What would you like to make easier for your family?

Moving MY Mom ... Another Dose of My Own Medicine

Starting to get that thick, coating medicine taste in the back of my throat.

First I got a flavor of organizing with my own garage.
Now, I'm moving my own mother. (serenity now ... serenity now)

Helping families move and downsize their homes is something I do all the time. As a senior move manager, becoming the leader in orchestrating the transition for the family to have their loved ones living in a new home is something I truly enjoy. Taking the stress and conflict out of the moving process.

Well, that is until it's my own mother (who I love very dearly).

Buttons are pushed, dramatics are played out and tensions rise.
Aaahhh!

Family dynamics are a crazy thing, having experienced a bit of frustration, eye-rolling, digressing to being a 10 year old chastised over not putting my toys away. When working with your parents, in a flash your parents forget you are an adult and you forget your parents are struggling with little loss of independence. Maintaining a calm and non-eye-rolling front can become quite a challenge.

All went well in the end. Mom is settling into her new home and I have a new found appreciation for the role of senior move managers. If you are looking for some help in moving your loved ones, check out the National Association of Senior Move Managers (NASMM) for a listing of people in your area that can help.

What can make your eyes roll?

A Taste of My Own Organizing Medicine

When you move into a new home, there is the excitement of the new space and the stress of how to organize your stuff in your new space. You get all your stuff set up and live with it for some time and realize ... uh, this doesn't seem to be working for you.

My garage has been driving me crazy for some time. We've been in our home nearly 4 years and I finally reached the point where I had to do something about our garage.
Yes, professional organizers need to get organized themselves, too.









Gotta admit ... man, trying to decide what to do with my stuff was tough. And I do this for a living, got a taste of my own medicine. I have a new appreciation for the feelings organizing clients have when working on their organizing projects.

After too much thought, decisions were made: My awesome brother built me a workbench (he is available to built more), a cabinet was purchased and assembled, and I built a giant peg board for all my tools.








Now all my tools are in one area, garden stuff is in the cabinet with the recycling items and my boys have some shelving space for their gear.
Aaahhh ... I feel so much better now.

If you have been living in your home for a few years, perhaps it is time to make some adjustments. Especially if you are feeling a frustrated with a particular area. Our lives change and evolve. Your organizing that worked well 2-3 years ago, will likely need to be tweaked for your current activities and interests.

How have you gotten a taste of your own medicine?

Garage From Hell (part two)

Moving Sucks!
There I said it and don't even say you have not thought this during at least one of your moves ... if not every single one.

No matter how long you have lived in your current home, moving takes so much time and energy whether you hire movers or not. You've got to sort through the stuff to take and stuff to trash/donate/leave behind. Everything has to be boxed up. Your home becomes a warehouse setting with stacks and stacks everywhere.

The day of the move all your items are carried into your new home and stacked ... again ... everywhere. UGH!

Soul had me help her and her family get ready for their move back in June. That was a big task and we successful accomplished it with ease. She now asked me to return to help UNPACK from their final move.

As their new garage door rises, we are greeted with this:

Boxes stacked everywhere. Not quite as bad as our June project, but the goal was to get Soul's car parked into her garage and out of the hot Texas summer sun.


With the music jammin' we went to work, grabbing boxes and slicing them open to see where they belonged. I carted them into their home to the room the items belonged. Items for her husband to sort were set into his boat.

In under 5 hours, everything that needed to be in the house was in the appropriate room. Many of the boxes were broken down and packing materials boxed up. A free listing on Craigslist had someone at the house within hours to take the majority of boxes away (yeah no landfill use).

Best part was seeing Soul park her car in her new garage.

We spent much of the next days sorting and finding homes for many of the items inside Soul's home. It's going to take a bit longer before all the boxes are gone. Working on 2-3 each day is very managable. Soon, everything is in its place for hopefully many, many, many years.

How would you describe the moving process?

Moving Grandma

Transitioning your older family member to a new home is a stressful time. They likely do not want to move. You want them to move for their safety and peace of mind. Then when moving day arrives, chaos can breakout at any moment. Everyone is working toward the good of their loved one.

Melonie, Affinity Merchant Solutions, send me this heartbreaking story about moving a grandmother:

Your services are so VERY important to ease tension and stress which may avoid life altering accidents!

First hand experience at this:
One day "Bill's" family was moving his 93 year old--- YES NINETY THREE year old Grandmother to an assisted living facility/retirement home. She decided that she needed some extra assistance after living alone for the last 10 or so years, so she was putting her house up for sale and downsizing.

They were doing great, Grandma was moving slower, but still getting around on her own. Certainly someone for us all to look up to and admire her strength! Finally she arrived at the assisted living facility and the family and her were unpacking boxes and it was all a little chaotic when BOOM went Grandma and fell down!! SHE BROKE HER HIP, just like that!

After being in the hospital, receiving a hip replacement, going through rehab, etc...Grandma is finally ready to settle in back home...HOWEVER she is no longer in an assisted living place, she had to be moved to skilled nursing facility. Totally different. She never got to spend one night even in her assisted living/retirement place, which I heard was VERY nice. Her new "home" is in a totally different facility across town. Sad that this had to happen. If only they would have hired you for your services.

If you find yourself in the midst of moving a loved one, please take care of their safety. When moving seniors, the best case scenario is to have someone spend the day with them away from the move. Take them out to breakfast/lunch, a movie, the zoo or a friend's home. Anything to keep them away from the moving activity. If this is not possible, most assisted living facilities will occupy the new resident while the moving takes place.

Thank you Melonie for allowing me to share this story.

What is your plan to move your grandma?

Have No Fear, Your Senior Move Manager Is Here

The late, great George Carlin once said,
“A house is just a pile of stuff with a cover on it.”

When you have to downsize, selling your house is usually not as difficult as dealing with your belongings. Likely your grown children are working full-time, running around to their kids activities and, bottomline, they do not want your items. Because ... well, they have a home full of stuff, too.

Help is available through the National Association of Senior Move Managers (NASMM). This organization (which yours truly is a proud member) is dedicated to assisting older adults and families with the physical and emotional demands of downsizing, relocating, or modifying their homes. A Senior Move Manager understands the difficult experience of moving from a long-time residence and makes that move as stress-free as possible.

The most popular services with NASMM customers are:
1. Un-packing and setting up the new home
2. Move planning and move oversight
3. Sorting services
4. Disposal/distribution of remaining items
5. Packing services
6. Customized floor plans

You may have family member available to help you with your move. Fantastic!
Beware of those deep family buttons that can be pushed, resulting in rising tensions and stress.

Even if you have family or friends who are willing to help you, a Senior Move Manager possesses expertise and experience, providing you with economical and insightful solutions as well as connections to local resources to expedite your move.

The result: No family buttons to be pressed + less tension and less stress = happy move

Bonus side tip: If tensions do begin to rise,
I always tell the family to blame me for all the decisions.
That way peace can remain in the family.

What is your plan to handle all your parent's stuff?

The Garage From Hell

Moving is an exciting and stressful time.
It will be compounded if you have not even finished unpacking from a previous move.

Knowing they were going to be in this home temporarily, Soul and her family never sorted through all the boxes stacked in their garage. On top of those boxes, were more boxes and items tossed adding to the pile of stuff. Their fishing gear was scattered about the perimeter of the piles which left them climbing over items to get in and out of the garage.

With the Soul family frustrations rising, time had come to purge. Plus with a new home in the very near future, something had to be done. They have a storage unit where they keep their bass boat.


The game plan we came up with was to sort through the boxes: keep, donate/curb, storage and trash.

Keep items were mainly fishing gear, tools and garden stuff.
Donate/curb items were things the family knew they would not need, but others could use. We had a couple mattresses, chairs, dresser, books, etc. These items quickly disappeared as we worked.
Storage items were mainly boxes that had not been opened from the previous move because they were waiting to get into their permanent home.
Trash ... big pile of papers, torn boxes and broken items.

Ideally, The Soul family wanted their boat in the garage for easy access. So, we swapped and transferred the storage boxes into the storage unit and the boat came home. As the Soul family packs up for their final move,they can add those boxes to the storage unit. On the big move day, the Soul family will have a much smaller number of the time consuming boxes to shift and can focus getting their furniture situated and slowly bring in boxes to unpack in their new home.

A project that would have taken days for the Soul family to complete, began at 9am and finished before 2pm -- under 5 hours!!

Since Soulman was focused on hauling the storage boxes, he has a few to sort in the garage yet. Though he'll get them done before the move date.

We conquered this "garage from hell," as Soul called it.
The Soul family is ready for their boat to come home and start packing for their final move.

Completing this project will make moving into their new home sooo much easier. I am thankful I was able to help the Soul family with this organizing adventure to Dallas, Texas.

What have you conquered?

Organizing Texas Style

Heading to Dallas to help Soul get organized and ready for a move.

This is officially the longest organizing adventure to date - 1,175 miles (1,891 km)

We will be focusing on her garage, though I have a sneaking suspicion that there will be a bit of fishing and much laughter, too.

Where has been your longest adventure?

Humble Pie

Humble
1: not proud or haughty : not arrogant or assertive
2: reflecting, expressing, or offered in a spirit of deference or submission
3: ranking low in a hierarchy or scale

Being humble is the defining characteristic of an unpretentious and modest person, someone who does not think that he or she is better or more important than others. The opposite of humility is pride.

Finishing up the biggest month of my business I am beaming with pride for what my boys and I have achieved. I found it quite humbling to end month by helping the "Andersons" move their uncle from an assisted living apartment to a skilled nursing facility. Uncle "John's" dementia had progressed rapidly caring for himself and his 20+ year old cat was lost.

As his sister, niece and myself walked into Uncle John's room, he had no idea we were going to tell him of this move. The family spoke to me about the poor state of his room, though I had no idea the extend until his door swung open.

Like a thick brick wall, I was stopped in my steps. Whew! The smell and clutter of the room was quite bad. Quickly I was introduced and began to mention to Uncle John about moving to a new home. Not knowing how he would react, we were relieved when he thought the idea was wonderful.

The plan was to come back the next day while Uncle John was out for medical treatment. Armed with masks, gloves, bags and boxes, we gathered up all John's personal items. His clothing was bagged to be washed prior to bringing to his new home. Sadly, his cat was taken to be put down.

At Uncle John's new room, all his belongings were set into place. Freshing cleaned clothing ready for his arrival. The family was amazed at how quickly the move went and incredibly thankful for my assistance in making this difficult task easy for them.

"Humility does not mean thinking less of yourself than of other people, nor does it mean having a low opinion of your own gifts. It means freedom from thinking about yourself at all." ~William Temple

I am so thankful the Anderson's turned to me to help them with their uncle. Projects like this one remind me of the importance of helping people every day.

How have you been humbled?

Life

The beauty of my job is helping people everyday. Sometimes though the help I need to provide is sad.

Back in September I moved a wonderful woman, "Alice," from her condo into an assisted living facility. We worked for 3 days preparing her belongings for the move and sorting out items that had just lost their purpose in her life for donation.
From moving to unpacking and finding her toothbrush, Alice was never alone. She was excited to be in a new community with many people to socialize with her.

Unfortunately, Alice's health has deteriorated due to a rapid progression of dementia and she has moved to a higher skilled facility. Having no family in the area, I was asked to 'unmove' her out of her apartment.

It is sad for me to go through this woman's belongings. Such a vibrant, happy, go-getter kinda chick quickly changes and regresses. My grandmother had dementia and this stirs memories of her.

Alice's personal items were boxed up for a distant relative to handle. Her clothes were sorted for items to be sent to her new home and labelled. The remainder of clothing and household items will be donated.

Please keep a watchful eye on your aging family and friends. Life is a tricky little bugger and so very precious. Take a brief moment to meet with your loved ones and make sure they are doing well. Tell them how you feel and listen to their thoughts.

Yeah they may be driving you up the wall with their rants and raves. Be thankful they know who you are.

Who do you need to listen to?

Moving Grandma: Plan B

Grandmothers are wonderful, sweet, tender loving people. When a family turns to me to help them with their grandmother, I always think about my grandmothers.

"Marcella" had downsized from her home to a small apartment a couple years ago, and the time had come for her to move into an assisted living facility. Living alone, lack of socialization and her dementia led the family to this decision. Marcella was quite happy about it. She was getting scared and confused being alone. Her family was worrisome, too.

We spent a few hours choosing the best clothes to move to Marcella's new home, consolidating boxes of pictures and letters, and clearing out the kitchen. Marcella was smiling about donating her clothes and other household items. She was even go through items on her own that needed to be tossed.

The plan was Marcella to have breakfast with a daughter while we moved her things to her new home and have all her things put away with her favorite nick-knacks in place.

On the morning of the move, Marcella was found in her bathtub. She could not get out and had spent about 12 hours alone unable to reach a towel or phone. Cold and disoriented, her granddaughter got her dressed and under the covers of her bed to warm up.

Quickly we came up with Plan B: Marcella seemed OK, though we just were not certain. The family ended up taking her to the ER for evaluation. They had me continue to work in Marcella's new home getting all her items put away.

Turns out she was a bit dehydrated from not eating and drinking properly. Luckily, the night spent in the tub has not caused any serious problems. After a couple days in the hospital, she is now enjoying her new home.

Please take the time at your family gatherings to make sure your older loved ones feel safe and secure in their home. With our children, we speak about scenarios for fire and weather safety drills. Perhaps it is time for your family to discuss the game plan for reacting to a situation with your older family members.

Whom in your family may need a plan B?

Oh Basement, Where Are You?

Somewhere hidden behind all these bags, boxes and bins is a basement. "Betty's" basement.

She moved into her beautiful home 5 years ago and the basement is where all the extra stuff landed. Many of it is Christmas decorations, long lost clothing and family heirlooms. Betty felt the time had come to sort out the treasures and purge, purge, purge.

First part of the project was to carve out a spot in the boxes to have some room to work. As Betty began to sort through the boxes, I bagged up the donations and sorted out the trash. As you work on a project like this, it is important to move the donations and trash out of the work area as you go. Not only does it create s-p-a-c-e, it also gives you a sense of accomplishment.




There was no shelving on any of the basement walls. Betty had some shelving left over she wanted installed to get some of the items off the floor. (Yeah, a power tool day!)

Before any of the shelving went up, we had to make a run to the local Salvation Army donation site. Two SUV's loaded with very useful items, just not needed by Betty. Once done, we headed back to start installing the shelving. Betty continued to sort and purge, while I started hammerdrilling holes into the walls for the shelves.



There was a group of boxes with family heirlooms that need to be sorted, but they are consolidated in one area. We broke down all the empty boxes and placed them into Betty's car to haul to recycle. Her garage was filled with bags of trashed items ready to be curbed. Along with another truck load of donated items, perhaps this time calling to have them picked up by another charitable agency.

And in the basement, Betty now has a storage area with tons of space. Plenty of room to walk around and begin to think about the plans of turning it into a rec room someday.

Betty did an amazing job getting her basement under control. This was a HUGE task and she conquered it. There is a bit of loose ends to tidy up, but the motivation is there to continue.

When you look at that dreaded area of your home, look at the potential and break the project into small bites so you don't get frustrated. Soon you will find the floor, and you can begin to plan for the future.

What room have you lost control of?

Taking Care of Mom

The cycle of life can be a tough cookie.

Our parents care for us for the first 18 years of our lives. We are dependent on them for these years. Then we begin to break away, live on our own, start up our own family and get all involved in soccer games, paying bills, cleaning house and writing that business proposal for the boss. Many times family members become spread out across the country and when Mom needs help, you must drop what is happening in your life and turn to care for your mom.

Well, you still have your job, your house and your kids. Soccer games are still going on, bills need attention, house is a mess and that business proposal needs to be rewritten because the boss wants to include the 5 year forecast ...... Oh, and you're out of milk.

Assisted Living facilties can help allieviate much of the stress off the family when mom (or dad) is in need of a bit more daily living help. I have had the opportunity to help several families coordinate the move of their loved ones into Browning Masonic Community in Waterville, Ohio.

I worked with mom to make sure she packed what she NEEDED in her new home. Unfortunately, you just can squeeze a house of stuff into a 1-2 bedroom apartment. Many bags of trash went to the curb, items were set aside for the family to sort through, a few loads were taken for donation. Then coordinated the moving company to load up mom's items and take them to her new home.

Then helped unpack what was brought. Made sure mom's bed was made. She had a drinks and munchies in her home. Mom was pretty much ready to settle down for night's rest. She was never alone through the entire moving process.

All this happened and you were able to stay on track with your responsibilities.

Does this make you a evil, bad daughter/son for allowing someone to help you and your mom?
Not at all.

Mom is in a beautiful, safe new home.
You no longer have to worry about mom being alone.

How awesome is your mom?