As too many tech devices compete for attention, I’m determined to deal with the distraction enemy in retirement. Who would have thought that technology would create angst after we’ve left the office? Whether from text messages, emails, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or old-fashioned voice mail, on most days digital demands rob every one of precious time. […]
Lifestyle
The Person I’ve Become
Since retiring in 2010, I marvel at the person I’ve become. I look back at my younger self and realize how much I’ve changed and evolved. I’m gradually feeling calmer, kinder, even happier as I grow older. Calmness The sense of calm comes from good health habits. I cook and eat nutritious whole foods, get regular […]
Buying a House is Like Buying a Dress
Is there a comparison between buying a house and buying a dress? After a recent purchase of a house that we believe will better suit our changing retirement lifestyle, it’s clear that the decision factors used when buying a house have similarities to decision factors used when buying a dress! Before I frustrate readers of […]
The home stretch — listing our house
We’re on the home stretch before listing our house. Our house will go on the multi-listing service on March 30. The marketing strategy that the real estate industry puts into selling a house sale is interesting. It’s different from what happened 25 years ago when we last sold a house. At that time, a thorough […]
Retirement Happiness — A Break with a Grand-daughter
This week it’s time for a break from prepping our house for sale to experience the joy of caring for our grand-daughter who is almost 3 years old. It’s March break in Ontario which means that schools, including the Montessori school she attends, are closed. Our son and daughter-in-law have new jobs where time off […]
Staying Sane in the Midst of Change
My husband and I are making and anticipating many changes in our lives as we de-clutter, purge, clean, and organize our house for sale. Staying sane in the midst of daily decisions sometimes seems a challenge! Preparing a house for sale takes its toll, both physically and mentally. Should we toss this chair or might […]
Managing Energy While Under Stress
During the past two months my husband and I have been faced with managing energy and staying productive while under stress. As we’ve worked to de-clutter, purge, and prepare our house for sale staying productive day after day has been a challenge. Although we agreed on the plan to sell our house months ago, we found […]
The work of preparing a house for sale
Preparing to sell a house involves pain, both physical and psychological. We are in the process of de-cluttering, organizing, and purging the house where we have lived for 25 years in preparation to list it next month. Real estate agents and home stagers are ruthless in their evaluation of what to remove or add to make each […]
De-cluttering and Decision Fatigue
De-cluttering brings on decision fatigue. If you want a headache, backache, and a pain in the neck — all at the same time — decide to sell your house! Purging, de-cluttering, organizing, and cleaning are all necessary to prepare a house for sale. Since early January, we’ve been clearing ‘stuff’ from the basement. We began in […]
Saying Good-bye to Favourite Books
To date, saying good-bye to favourite books has been the most painful aspect of the de-cluttering and purging experience as we prepare to sell our house. Readers know that my husband and I are in the midst of a ‘basement bootcamp’. We are purging One long wall of the finished area of the basement […]
