Out of Chaos an organizing newsletter
The Lure Of The Vacation Rental
I was chatting with another mother in the playground recently, and she was saying how great it had been to be on vacation. What she really loved was that the vacation rental had everything they needed, and they brought just enough to be comfortable, but not enough to clutter the place up.
Most people enjoy the simplicity of summer homes and vacation rentals, so why not make your home a little more streamlined like a beach house? The best vacation rentals provide everything you need, and yet are empty enough to feel clear and clean. Your children only bring a few of their favorite toys, so clean-up time is easy, and if the clean-up doesn’t happen, the room is still open and (relatively) uncluttered.
This summer I also had a few conversations with friends who were talking about how great it was to live in their homes after they got them ready for subletters and apartment swappers. When someone is coming into our space, we see it with different eyes, and if someone is going to stay in our space we often de-clutter and even tackle home improvements in a way that we should have before.
So try this: Pretend that you are subletting your place. Or, try my favorite trick and invite guests over who have never been to your home. Taking a look at your place through their eyes will help you see the clutter that has become invisible to you. Then see if you can weed, prune and schlep some stuff to Housing Works to make your home a little more like that fabulous beach house.