Creating a Dream Community: Building a Land-Based Eco-Village

We shared about our upcoming move and the temporary ideas we’re exploring. But today, we want to share something even more significant—our DREAM. This dream has been with us since September 2011, when we first met in Wellington, New Zealand. It’s a vision that continues to inspire us as we navigate the challenges of our current situation. We dream of creating a land-based community, an eco-village that fosters connection, learning, and sustainability. This vision is more than just a fantasy; it’s a call to action that we’re committed to realizing.

Learn more about the growing trend of eco-villages and their impact on sustainable living.

Our Unfulfilled Eco-Village Dream

When Emilio and I first connected, we shared a desire for something more than just the conventional path. We wanted to create a space that reflected our values—a place where people could come together, learn, and grow. Our dream is to own a piece of land where we can develop upcycled and eco-friendly accommodations, from tiny houses to earth ships, and offer a central space for ceremonies, yoga, and creativity.

This dream extends beyond just the physical structures. We envision food forests, native gardens, and partnerships with local beekeepers to create a thriving ecosystem. We want to offer volunteering opportunities, workshops, and retreats, making our land a hub for healing, creativity, and community engagement. This is a vision that excites us deeply, and we are eager to bring it to life.

Discover the benefits of land-based learning and its role in community development.

The Reality of Housing Uncertainty

Despite our passion and vision, we are currently facing a significant hurdle. After 11 years of living in our beloved home, we are being evicted as our landlord prepares to sell the property. This space has been more than just a house—it’s where we’ve raised our daughter, planted gardens, and built a tiny home. The prospect of leaving is heart-wrenching, but we believe that this challenge is a stepping stone toward our ultimate dream.

As we grapple with the uncertainty of where we will go next, we remain committed to our vision. We know that realizing our dream will require resources, collaboration, and unwavering trust in the process. We are not seeking this dream in the traditional way; instead, we are putting it out into the universe, open to guidance and support from those who resonate with our vision.

Explore strategies for manifesting abundance and overcoming financial barriers.

What We Envision for Our Eco-Village Dream Community

• Upcycled accommodations: repurposed campervans, boats, shipping containers
• Eco-friendly buildings: tiny houses, earth ships, teepees
• Central space for ceremonies, yoga, workshops
• Communal sweat lodge, sauna, cold plunge
• Food forests, native gardens, greenhouses
• Partnerships with local beekeepers, community involvement
• Volunteer and time exchange opportunities
• Workshops, retreats, and forest school for children

Calling In Support and Collaboration

As we continue to navigate this period of transition, we are calling in collaborators, landowners, and investors who share our passion for community and sustainability. We believe in the power of collective effort and know that this dream is bigger than us. We trust that the right people and opportunities will align as we move forward.

This is a time for healing, connection, and showing up fully to share our gifts. We are ready to commit to this vision and invite you to join us on this journey.

Conclusion

Our dream of creating a land-based eco-village is one that has been with us for nearly 13 years. While the path to realizing this dream is not without its challenges, we trust in the process and are committed to bringing it to life. This is a vision of healing, community, and sustainability—a place where we can all thrive together. If you feel called to be part of this journey, we invite you to connect with us and explore how we can make this dream a reality.

Support our dream and get involved in our vision for a land-based eco-village.

Here is a snapshot of the things we do not buy:

Only by curiosity are we writing and sharing this blog. We in no way think less or more of anyone if they do or do not buy anything. We are all different, with stories and reasons for lifestyles and behaviours. Our friend asked us to write out this list and we thought it was a fun exercise to think about “what don’t we buy?”

1. Plastic wrap, sandwich bags, or plastic bags

Even without buying these items, they can still make their way into our home. What in sweet jesus do we do when we have left overs? Or are making sandwiches for a picnic? Good question: we do it the Spanish bocadillo way 😊 wrapped with tinfoil.

2. Salad Dressing

We love making our own. The standard is olive oil, apple cider vinegar, salt, and honey. We do make our own ranch, Caesar, and Greek dressings. Recipes are here.

3. Gasoline

It’s true, we stopped indirectly buying gas. We became community carshare members and no longer have to pay directly for this resource. Yes, we still use a petrol car, but far less. And it really is great to pay as a collective for things like car insurance, car maintenance, and gasoline. It’s incredible how much happier we are and less stressed we are about owning a vehicle.

4. Coffee Pods or filters

We use an stove top espresso maker and a reusable espresso cap for the machine.

5. Premade Cleaning Products

We use water, vinegar, baking soda, essential oils, dish soap, laundry detergent. Samantha started cleaning from a very early age, she always felt like Cinderella. Regardless, she witnessed how pre-made cleaners were harmful to her skin, left streaks, had pungent odors, and in general didn’t work well. Nothing was a safer or cleaner option that vinegar and water. Check out her blog about cleaning the fridge.

6. Popsicles

We have a reusable popsicle mold that works great for extra smoothies, or intentional fudgeicle creation.

7. Microwave Popcorn

I make it on the stove top in a soup pot.

8. Kombucha, Smoothies, or Juice

With the exception of ordering this at a restaurant or café we make all our own juices, smoothies, lassis, and kombucha. This has been a magical discovery for our alcohol free family. It makes for an easy choice of what to imbibe when having a gathering or day out in the sun.

9. Movies or Cable

Except for a subscription to CBC Gem, Gaia, and Spotify we do not rent movies or pay for television. In fact we have our tv covered all the time with a removable painting. If we are temporarily staying in a space we cover televisions with a scarf, towel, or blanket.

10. Napkins or wet wipes

We use cloth napkins, towels, and cleaning rags instead of one-time use only products like paper towel, paper napkins or disposable cloths. We did use wet wipes outside the house while our daughter was in cloth diapers.

11. Alcohol

Since 2011, Samantha has been sober from alcohol. Emilio never felt compelled to consume alcohol even with it’s prevalence in Spanish culture. There is a great novel written by Harold Johnson called Fire Water: how alcohol is killing my people and yours. The arguments offered in this book are beyond compelling as to why we would be better served to move away from this destructive past time and invest into more soul filling pursuits.

12. Presents

Easy! This is a sensitive topic for sure. But yes, you won’t see us buying you or anyone else gifts for birthdays, Christmas, weddings, etcetera. Don’t write us off completely though. We just don’t believe that giving of gifts or money should be obligatory for anyone. We also don’t expect to receive gifts. We do still like to offer gifts of time, food, experiences, and help whenever we are able.

13. Granola

We make our own made up of our favorite oats, nuts, and dried fruits

14. Flowers

We try to buy plants and seeds in leu of any cut flowers. It’s not that we don’t think they’re incredibly beautiful, but we just feel strongly about sharing living things.

15. CDs, Vinyl Records, or Tapes

Samantha tried to revive her collection of CDs and vinyl, but the truth was she didn’t want to make the time to listen in that manner. It was her last effort to try and keep the collections that she had spent literally thousands of dollars on since her first job. However, practically it has become much easier to stream music. If the power goes out or the internet fails, she always goes back to the guitar, piano or drum.

16. Underpants (Samantha only)

Who needs them?

17. Tampons or Menstrual Pads

Converted years ago to the Diva cup there has been no turning back to ease and comfort of using this device. Yes, there can always be an accident, but that was the same with tampons or pads. I appreciate this invention so much and am grateful that I no longer am forced to wear other products.

18. Decorations

If you see decorations around our home it’s because they were hand-me-downs, inherited, free, or created by our daughter. We re-use the same Happy Birthday pendent, put out a small bag of Christmas items, but in general do not decorate. And for those of you who know us intimately know that we do still like to celebrate the times, but not the materials associated to the celebration.

19. Soup 

This is one item that we love making and when we do, we make extra for the freezer. It’s interesting that it’s a product that used to be a staple in the cupboard, but has since been eliminated from purchases.

20. Nail Polish + Makeup, Face, Hair, or Hair Removal Products 

A long, long time ago Samantha used to paint her nails to match her outfits. She had the best colours from MAC makeup and had a whole make up routine before leaving the house. Now, after years of sobriety, I have never felt more confident and beautiful then this stage in my life. I no longer feel like I need to invest time into routines that did not make me feel more beautiful and consumed my precious time. And the truth was that this started because while I was traveling I could no longer afford to dye my hair, wax my pussy, shave my legs, paint my face, and distort my image. From that experience I came to find myself. One that was truly proud of who she was, how her body looked ‘naturally’ and when I found that women – I also found my partner in crime. When I became a true reflection of myself, I found my true reflection in another. I’m grateful always for Emilio loving me for who I am, body hair and all. Just as I love him, body hair and all.

21. Fresh Herbs 

The flavours of fresh herbs and aromatics are incredible additions to any diet. We plant a garden that supports that love. Full disclosure we do indirectly purchase fresh herbs in our Little Fields Farm CSA purchase. All year long Samantha grows in the basement herbs and lettuces. During the outdoor growing season you will always find cilantro, rosemary, thyme, chives, garlic, lavender, basil, parsley, lemongrass, dill, mint, marijuana and more growing in their medicine garden. When the plant is near the end of harvest we dry herbs using the dehumidifier. And we also the plants to always “go to seed” to collect and plant for the next year and share with others.

22. Water in Bottles

We do our best to always bring water along with us. One reusable bottle for each person. We clean our bottles with wire brushes and straw cleaners.

23. Marijuana, vapes, or cigarettes

Although, Samantha uses marijuana, she does not buy it from shops or others. She grows it in her medicine garden, dries its, and keeps it in her freezer. It’s easy not to by cigarettes or vape products as neither Emilio or Samantha smokes.

24. Tissue or Kleenex

We use beautiful handkerchiefs, each with their own stories. They are easily disinfected in the wash (I wash these in a load with cleaning cloths at a hot temperature). Samantha has handkerchiefs from her Farfar, a friend’s grandmother, and a local print screen artist in KW. Emilio found a great collection while he was home in Barcelona, Spain.

25. Conditioner, body gel or liquid hand soap

When you detox your hair from using conditioner, you may find it’s a product that is no longer necessary. Personal choice of course, but none of us use these products and instead have a homemade bar soap for our hands and body. We are so grateful to our amazing friends and family who know how to make this in their homes.

Okay, so hopefully you found this information interesting, informative, or helpful. Our intention is not to make anyone feel shame, judgement, or pressure. Just the opposite. We hope to inspire, empower, and bring awareness to our situations.

Emilio and I are always open to learning and growing along with you all, so please feel free to comment and share below with what you no longer purchase that may be interesting for us to learn.

The real reason you have clutter

If you’re still believing (like I used to!) that your home will suddenly become neater when you just upgrade to that 2 bedroom condo, or maybe even a single-family detached home, then you’ve got some disappointment coming your way.

Think about it for a second.

If your approach to organization is to just keep jamming things into your storage closet until opening the door is an inherently risky operation… then a bigger closet is just putting a longer fuse on that clutter bomb.

If your paper filing system is to make teetering stacks of it on your desk, leaving just enough space for your laptop and your coffee mug… then a bigger desk just means you’ll build that paper pyramid so high it becomes a legitimate class-2 avalanche concern.

The real reason your home isn’t clean

The real reason that your home isn’t clean, is not because it’s too small for the amount of stuff that you have.

Throughout your life, as you went from bunking with your big brother or sister, to sharing an apartment with roommates, to having your own home, the clutter has always followed you into these bigger spaces, hasn’t it?

So, if a bigger home doesn’t mean you’ll have a cleaner home, maybe there’s a better approach to clutter (one that doesn’t require spending $$$ on a bigger home).

A better approach to clutter

An approach that…

… gives you more time for daily joy, instead of daily stress

… lets you get on with the important things in life

… lets you start a new way of life, letting go of the past

The truth is…

There are thousands of people who live this reality each and every day.

But they didn’t get there by dreaming of bigger closets and buying 4,000 sq. ft. homes.

They got there by FIRST adopting the approach that the clutter is tied to themselves, not their space… and then learning the techniques and mindset shifts that opened the gates to more productivity and mental clearness.

They didn’t rely on organizational gimmicks. But the powerful step-by-step process that helped them find the roots of why their clutter had become an issue in their life.

“Great. I get it. But I never learned how to deal with my clutter growing up. Life has always looked like this.” Read about the real reason our client Kim kept resisting a better approach..

The misperception that is holding you back

That’s a topic for our next blog post. This misperception that you should just naturally, instinctively know these things, and if you don’t, well you’d better feel embarrassed asking anyone else how to learn them!

If you have a smaller home or space, rejoice! When you have a clear, organizational system, a smaller space will always be easier to keep tidy and clean than a 4,000 sq. ft. house.

Since 2013, Emilio and I have been offering workshops and team-building events on the topics of organization, minimalism, and self-care. This Spring, we were introduced to a company who is completely changing the way team building events are thought of.

A company called WholeHearted connected with us to discuss being a part of their programming for a corporate customer event that would see it’s employees gather, eat and drink local treats, learn about decluttering, and donate their unwanted items to charities in need. The best part? The employees were given hours off from work to actually take action on the learnings.

So picture this: everyone met online, the snacks and drinks were delivered to their door the day before, KW Professional Organizers shared their expertise to help kick-start a declutter session, and then the employees signed off and went at their own decluttering projects and the employees supported each other’s progress through the company chat.

Team building events can feel better

Cat, co-founder of WholeHearted, shared that employees spend a lot of time at work, and they deserve to feel good about it. WholeHearted helps companies and leaders offer their teams opportunities to do good through events and fostering corporate wellness.

Cat also enlightened me by stating that one of the ways employees can feel great about their work and who they work for is by having opportunities to give back. Volunteer Canada supports this with “research that indicates that 80% of employer-supported volunteers believe that group volunteering strengthens their relationships with colleagues.”

Ask your boss to get into corporate wellness

You might be asking yourself after reading this, “Great! How can my boss offer better team events?” Good question. We thought the same thing and decided to ask Cat and Gill from WholeHearted for their suggestions.

3 ways to ask for better team building events

1. Ask for a survey – it’s easier to offer your feedback to the company leader or manager if it’s asked for. Maybe your company already offers a survey to their staff, but if they don’t, this is a great place to start down the road to getting better employee experiences. Let your company know what solutions you’re seeking, what causes you support, and what you’d really love to see for your wellness.

2. Identify the gap – what is really missing at your work? Sometimes it’s challenging for your leaders to know what it is the team really needs. You probably have the answers because you’re working on the front lines. Does the team need time to rekindle after months of working solo at home? Maybe a group of you have been wanting to learn a new skill? Share this knowledge with your leaders and you might be happy to find it weaved into the next team-building event.

3. Reinvent the same old event – you know what I’m talking about here. At the end of every quarter the group gets together for pre-cut sandwiches, coffee, and a speaker, then everyone heads back to their desks. The truth is that your company does want to support your wellness, but they need a nudge in a new direction. If the events are scheduled, all you need to do is suggest the previous two tips and your afternoon in a chair with sandwiches is sure to change for the better.

Better company culture, better work

WholeHearted founders say it best, “these days, people are looking for a sense of meaning in their work. It’s not all about the paycheck and the corner office anymore.” And we couldn’t agree more. We witness the power of positive self-care and wellness with our clients and our audiences every day. If you start to use your voice to ask for what you really want to see at your work, you will have the positive ripple effect we’ve all been waiting for.  

Interview with Samantha and Emilio from KWPO about the link between organization and ‘green’ living

We were invited to The Eco Cast Podcast, by The Eco Market. Jen invited us to speak about how organization strategies can help us lead a greener lifestyle.

This is the blurb of the podcast:

In this episode, we featured Samantha and Emilio from @kwporganizers – Waterloo-based organizers with a passion for community and ‘greener’ living. We talked about the role organization has in our ability to lead a ‘green’ lifestyle, our consumer culture and some of the negatives associated with that from a waste standpoint, waste reduction, ‘eco’ ways to get rid of your stuff, resources in the Kitchener Waterloo Region, and lots more. Enjoy!

You can visit the podcast for more episodes here. 

Click here to learn more about The Eco Market.

Photo Downsizing & Organizing Video Series

A 3 Step Recipe to Downsize Your Photos

Let’s face it, what are we going to do with all those photographs? 

There is a lot of time, energy, and resources that go into taking a photo, printing a photo, sharing a photo, etcetera. And over the years you may be collected a lot of photos and now are uncertain of what to do with them all. I found myself in a similar position and below I share my solution to the challenge of making that decision. 

Remember, this solution won’t work for everyone, but it worked for me and my family. Have a peek and enjoy the videos.

Step ONE: Deciding to Go Digital

The Challenge I was facing:

My grandmother died and I inherited a very heavy photo album that she organized before her death. It was a lovely dedication to her family, but it was difficult to transport, share, and store.

The Solution:

• spend time making photos digital
• create a condensed version with the digital photos in a photo book online and print it
• let go of original photos and photo album

Step TWO: Scan the Photos

The Kitchener Public Library saved me hours of time and provided me with access to the tools I needed to downsize and declutter my photo collection.  In the video below, you can see a brief overview of the Epson FastFoto FF-640 and Cannon 9000f Mark II Scanner. I used both of these devices, for free with my library card, to digitalize over 550 photos in less than 2 hours.

You don’t have to be a tech expert to use these tools. The staff demonstrated all of the equipment for me and also were there for any questions I had. An absolute pleasure that I recommend you take advantage of.

Information about the devices I used:

Epson FastFoto FF-640

• Digitize your photo collection with the world’s fastest photo scanner
• Scan as fast as 1 photo per second
• Restore, edit, crop, and batch name photos
• Accommodates fragile and panoramic photos

Canon 9000f Mark II Scanner

• Scan documents, photos, slides, or film strips
• Convert to JPG/Exif, PNG, TIFF, or PDF
• Save to USB or email digital file
• Maximum optical resolution: 4800dpi
• Maximum document size: 8.5″ x 11.7″

Step THREE: Ordering Photo Album Hardcopy & Share

It was important to me to still have a hard copy of the photos that my Grandma had worked so hard to organize before she died. I wanted to gift this photo album to my parents and knew it will be something that I will be able to see whenever I visit. I ended up using Photo Book Canada, but there are so many options to get your album printed (if you even choose to print a hard copy). Below is a summary of how I felt about this project.

Positive results are:

• I have more space on my shelf
• photos are now digitally archived
• photos are easily shareable with relatives and friends
• backed up in case of damage to the physical book
• the weight of my storage has decreased significantly (making it easier and cheaper to move if that need arises)
• a lasting physical album that can be passed around or handed down

Negative results:

• time invested was 4.5 hours
• difficulty letting go of original copies of photographs
• $50 spent on printing final photo album

Final thoughts?

The positive results far outnumbered the negative results of this project (for me). Not everyone will find it easy to let go of physical copies of photographs. However, you have to decide what is important for you “to keep” and “to let go of,” everyone will be different.

I’m really proud that my community has such an amazing resource like The Kitchener Public Library. I would not have been able to complete this project for free without the access to technology that they provided to me as a library user. Thanks for being awesome and continuing to allow our community to learn and grow together.

Wellness Programs Employees Will Love!

Promote Health, Happiness, and Productivity

Reduce Health Care Costs & Absenteeism

Employers offering wellness programs can help the company reduce health care costs, increase productivity, and improve employee morale.

Wellness programs will help employees create a more mindful-friendly working space, reducing stress, distractions, increasing work-life balance, and promoting their overall mental health and happiness.

There are plenty of benefits for both employers and employees and that’s why wellness programs are increasing every year.

In the past couple of years, we have had the opportunity to work with companies creating inspiring, practical, and accessible workshops and the results and feedback have always been outstanding!

Life has many moving pieces (Body, Mind, Work, Family, Social, Stuff, Finances, Giving Back…) and we all need to become aware of our needs in order to take steps to cover them.

We are all “busy” trying to manage every aspect of our lives, and many times we stop spending time reflecting and becoming aware of what’s important and what’s not. Becoming overwhelmed and paralyzed. Not knowing how to move forward with everything we “need” to do.

In our hardcover book “A Recipe for An Extraordinary Life“, we share a lifestyle design method based on organization, minimalism, and self care.

This method will help you find your own recipe to live a life that includes everything that you love and makes you feel well. At the same time as taking care of your responsibilities (as fast as possible 😉 )

It’s all about being intentional of how you are investing your time, energy, and money.

We have delivered a presentation based on our book many times and people are always very inspired to take action. It’s all about practicality!

Self care is a very powerful tool that can help you become aware of your needs, and start taking steps to nurture them. 

“Declutter Your Mind with Self Care” is one of our most popular workshops. We presented this workshop yesterday at the University of Toronto and many participants commented on how much better they already felt after writing down their own self care list and becoming aware of some of the simple and easy things they can do when they are not feeling well.

It’s very important to understand our basic human needs like eating well, sleeping well, having a comfortable home to live in, having a supportive family and social environment. These are just some examples of basic human needs that many times we neglect and they can have a HUGE impact on our overall mental health.

A few weeks ago I shared a blog post called “How to Be Ultimately at Peace with Yourself“. In this post, I shared Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. He proves how important it is to cover your basic human needs in order to create the life that you want to live.

It’s very easy to get distracted by life’s “busyness” and neglect basic human needs like eating properly, getting enough sleep, maintaining an organized home, and managing our time and energy. We see it all the time!

This is why we offer workshops, courses, one on one help, and a lot of FREE content through our blog, youtube channel and social media! To help you become aware and find ways to take positive actions to change what you want to change in your life.

One of the main obstacles that many companies face when trying to create wellness programs is getting their employees motivated to participate. Very frequently, we all say: “I don’t have time for that!” when it comes to learning new things. And it’s normal. YES, it’s totally normal. If you barely get through your day and are always struggling to find the time, it may seem silly to “waste” your precious time attending this new thing.

We would like you to think about “investing” your time instead. If you can learn something that can help you save time every single day. Would that be worth it?

One of the most successful ways we have found to get people motivated and inspired to come to our workshops has been talking about “cool” topics like:

How to Embrace Minimalism in Your Life

What the Heck Is Bullet Journaling

The KonMari Method. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up

Wabi Sabi A Wise Japanese Tradition for Achieving a Balanced Lifestyle

How to Hygge. The Nordic Secrets to a Happy Life

Canada Mental Health Association invited us to present at their PD Day, and the topic they wanted was how to use Bullet Journaling with Self Care. It was a great presentation and the participants left motivated to use journaling to track and improve their mental health and habits.

Are you an employer looking to inspire and motivate your employees?

Are you an employee looking to benefit from creating a more mindful-friendly working space?

Wellness programs can be the answer! And we are here to help you design and promote a customized series for your company culture.

This is what you can get when working with us: 

• Assessment of your current company culture and research of topics of interest.
• Graphic design and promotion of the event or series.
• Delivery of engaging presentation(s)
• Team building and practical exercises.
• A discounted copy of our hardcover and electronic book for your participants.
• Discounted access to our KWPO Academy for all your participants, so they can keep learning at their own pace.
• Video recording of the session for later use.
• 1 on 1 assistance and accountability after the session for those who need more help.

We are looking forward to having the opportunity to inspire your group! Let’s chat.

Explore the topics that we offer here. 

The Power Of Coaching!

Laura’s story is a real example of how coaching, mentoring, and support can help you overcome your challenges and create the life that you want to live.

Laura was struggling with physical clutter, mental clutter, too many activities and her mental health was a reflection of all this chaos.

Before: “I feel in such darkness, trapped in the lifestyle that can’t move”

After: ” I feel alive, lighter, freer, happier, fresher. Every piece of my life has a reason now”

She enrolled in our coaching program and since then she has been able to make DRAMATIC improvements in her life. She wants to share her story to inspire others to take action.

You have the power to change your life. Yes, YOU!

If you are not feeling well, and you are unable to find a solution on your own, please don’t stop searching for the right help. Sometimes it’s a family member, sometimes a good friend, sometimes a therapist, sometimes a coach, a mentor, a professional organizer…

If you don’t like your current situation and are ready for a change, make sure you keep your eyes open for opportunity. And never give up!

We try our best to create content and resources to help you.

This is the power of coaching!

Any questions for us? Let us know what your struggles are and we will create content just for you!

Chat About Organization/Minimalism/Self Care with James Lott Jr.

Partners in life and business, they wrote an amazing book “A Recipe For An Extraordinary Life.”

The book is great and the how the book is made is unique. The book is made by hand by a local publisher in Waterloo! Check out how he made it in this video!

Learn some of the tips that James Lott Jr is now using!

How are you integrating organization, minimalism, and self-care in your life?

Judie’s Story / 8 Part Mini-Series

Judie was ready for change and she reached out for help. We were very fortunate to be able to facilitate that change for her.

Judie is a very brave person and she allowed us to record all the sessions we did with her.

She wants to inspire and empower others to take action and reach out for help if required.

We have created an 8 part mini-series where you will be able to see the process, her struggles, her wins, and the amazing transformation that she created in her spaces and her life.

It’s not very usual to be able to invite you into such an intimate process, but we believe that by sharing, many others will feel empowered to get started and reach out for help if they feel stuck.

We were able to capture very beautiful moments. We are sure you will enjoy this series. 

The 8 Parts + 4 Bonus Episodes Are (Click on the episode below to watch): 

Part 1: Meet Judie

Part 2: The Kitchen

Part 3: The Closet + The Bathroom

Part 4: The Storage

Part 5: The Bedroom

Part 6: The Living Room

Part 7: 5 Weeks Later

Part 8: Judie’s Reflections

Bonus Episode 1: 8 Months Later

Bonus Episode 2: Time Management

Bonus Episode 3: Finances

Bonus Episode 4: Guided Tour with Judie

If you prefer you can also  watch it on Youtube

This is what she has to share about the process:

(Originally posted on google reviews)

OMG!!! where do i start to tell you about my experience with KW Professional Organizers!!! I don’t think i can really say enough great stuff about these two, Samantha & Emilio & this system they have to help organize or purge… cuz they have really helped change & inspire me to do & think about things differently but still, one that works for ME!!! I have always dreamed about that someone or some place that could help me achieve what i really want in my living space. Well, they did this & so much more than “organizing” even tho that’s what is in their title saying what they do!!

You have to understand tho i was so ready & overdue in finding the right people to give me direction, information, resources, tools and guidance to go thru this process of making the most of my space i have always dreamed of! So i knew i was ready for their help to do whatever was necessary to get to that better place….one of … having actual space to move around in, to really feel excited about when i walk thru my apartment door & know i really want to be here & really enjoy my home.

My gosh we went thru, EVERYTHING, & i mean EVERYTHING….every little box, space, pieces of furniture… we went thru to make sure i REALLY really wanted to keep it, donate it, purge it, reuse it, repurpose it, or get rid of it!!! I am not kidding, i now know exactly what i have & where it is & am pleased with every decision I MADE, not them, but me…i decided what would give me peace & feel comfortable with or without in my new apartment. We went thru each room in just a matter of a few sessions in my one bedroom apartment & now this is my cozy sanctuary i come home now each day to!! When i open my door i feel so happy & content knowing i am coming home to a sense of calm & simplicity to a place i finally feel like this is my HOME!!! Their patience & expertise & understanding how difficult a process this might be for me, i felt totally comfortable to do what i needed to with their guidance, compassion & their empathizing with me as i considered each item we looked at. They never pressured me about anything & would remind me that i didn’t need to do something if i felt i just couldn’t at that moment…i never felt rushed or pushed in to a decision that wasn’t right for me and at that time!

However, as i said before tho, i was ready for this huge challenge in my life! I was also tired of moving in to a new place & waiting for help to make my place my own, not waiting months or years to have it set up to live in! I was tired of the status quo of each time moving & settling with all the junk i kept taking from one place to the next & the stuff that i knew didn’t fit my lifestyle anymore, so i kept losing more & more space in each place i moved in to……so it was really time to stop all this, time to priortize & find a way to get the help i needed & deserved to feel better about my life & what i had or didn’t have in my life, NOW!! So it was not really surprising how easy most of it was to “let go”stuff or to accept a new process to make my space work for me, so in the end, i really did feel satisfied & comfortable with every decision i did make!! 
The excitement in their voices was infectious, right from the first phone call to the first session & to every session after, always a huge smile on their faces & ready to go. They LOVED seeing my energetic little furface Merlin, my 2 year old puppydog…they LOVE animals!!! They easily took me through their thought process around their system which helped me in creating a space i really wanted & would feel comfortable in. Well, i now feel like a huge weight off my shoulders not to mention at the end of each session i had nothing to rid of or tidy up, they do it all!!! I can now move forward incorporating all i have learned to maintain my home the special place i feel excited about to come home to & live in with contentment. I know i can easily continue to think simple & with ease at decisions around whether i have a place for this or that & do i really need or want it in my space 🙂 

Judie Witt

There is a lot of LOVE and INTENTION put into the creation of these episodes.  We hope you enjoy this series!

Please share with us any comments or suggestions 🙂

GETTING PROFESSIONALLY ORGANIZED IN THE NEW YEAR

We are thrilled to share with you an interview that we had with the community edition with Sophia Grande-Lawlor:

With the New Year often comes the resolutions to change your life for the better. One of the big goals people often set their sights on, but get too overwhelmed with, is organization.

Samantha Kristoferson and Emilio Jose Garcia of KW Professional Organizers know this feeling all too well.

“We took everything that somebody has ever written us and we tried to look for the common themes involved in [what people found the most challenging about getting organized], and the top three common themes for people are: the complete feeling of overwhelm, not having time and not knowing where to start,” Kristoferson said.

The urge to get organized is appearing in our culture increasingly with pieces such as Marie Kondo’s The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. Concepts such as minimalism are also growing in popularity, not only for aesthetic purposes, but for mental health and environmental reasons, too.

“I think what’s happening is that we are bombarded by stuff: physical stuff, a lot of digital stuff, a lot of information. We are demanding a lot from each other, companies are demanding a lot from us, life in general is demanding a lot from us, and our expectations are so high that people are craving simplicity, people are craving less things, less distractions, and more joy, more fulfillment,” Garcia said.

These problems and goals are all too familiar to those of us attempting to get organized in the New Year, but throughout the year, organization is growing in popularity across the country.

“In Canada, [professional organizing has] existed for over 17 years. Professional Organizers in Canada is our national association and it currently represents 683 registered professional organizers across the country from Vancouver all the way to Newfoundland,” Kristoferson said.

When it comes to getting started, both organizers stated the importance of knowing your intentions behind getting organized.

“What we need to do is understand what is it that you want to achieve, and why? If [you] can understand that, going through [the organization] process is going to be easier,” Garcia explained.

The importance of reflecting on why you are aiming to organize your space is important to the process, but for lasting results, it is critical to understand where these motivations have come from.

“The reality is, if you don’t feel like it’s something that’s motivated from inside of you, if it’s someone telling you you should do those things, don’t do it until you feel you’re ready to take on that step … Then you’ll probably see longer lasting change because it’s internal,” Kristoferson said.

Choosing what to keep and what to throw away can be an intimidating part of the de-cluttering process.

“Once we get started, one of the challenges everyone faces is making decisions, especially when it comes to items that were expensive or are emotional because they came from a family member,” Garcia said.

Kristoferson continued by explaining that just dealing with the clutter can oftentimes be the biggest hurdle.

“Everything that you keep, whether it be digital or physical, requires time, energy, and your attention. So just know that if you’re keeping something, eventually you’re going to have to deal with it,” Kristoferson pointed out.

Organization can be a complex process, but the results are increasingly important to recognize what we have. Kristoferson refers to the “economy of abundance” we live in, where we have access to so many products that it allows for easy accumulation of clutter. The
Waterloo Region is equipped with several removal services, donation centres and thrift stores that are ready to accept things you no longer have use for. This recycling of goods allows for better environmental solutions through the sharing of things, and as Garcia pointed out, it often makes letting go of things easier, knowing that someone else will be using them. As well as benefiting the community, organization allows for empowerment at home.

“I think that by having a clear space,” Kristoferson reflected, “by feeling like we have some control over things and knowing what you have, where it is, and getting access to it, gives you this ability to say: nothing can stand in my way.”

This article was first posted in the community edition.

What were your resolutions for 2018? Have you been able to move forward with them? 

Learn tips that will help you declutter your closet.

Capsule wardrobe helps you simplify your closet and keep only the things that you love to wear. Also, allows you to be more intentional with the things you want to wear depending on the season we are in.

If you are feeling frustrated and you don’t know what to wear in the mornings, this video is for you!

Project 333 is the minimalist fashion challenge that invites you to dress with 33 items or less for 3 months.

Project 333 – The Rules

• When: Every three months (It’s never too late to start so join in anytime!)

• What: 33 items including clothing, accessories, jewelry, outerwear, and shoes.

• What not: these items are not counted as part of the 33 items – wedding ring or another sentimental piece of jewelry that you never take off, underwear, sleepwear, in-home lounge wear,  and workout clothing (you can only wear your workout clothing to workout)

• How: Choose your 33 items, box up the remainder of your fashion statement, seal it with tape and put it out of sight.

• What else: consider that you are creating a wardrobe that you can live, work and play in for three months. Remember that this is not a project in suffering. If your clothes don’t fit or are in poor condition, 

You can find more info about project 333 here.

The way you fold and store clothes will change dramatically how you can use the space and how easy it’s to access your clothes. In the video, Samantha shows how you can fold your clothes and store them up.

Are you looking for ways to let go of the things you no longer need?  Check out our course “How to Declutter and Organize Any Space”.

Have you heard about clothing swaps?  They are a great way to give your unwanted clothes a new life!

Are you feeling inspired to declutter your closet? 

Click here to Learn How to Declutter Your Mind with Self-Care.

So we decided to take a road trip and go to visit them!

This is a short video of our visit.

The residents will have a combination of experiences (formerly homeless people, senior citizens, college students and a few Cass staff members) but all will qualify as low-income. At first, the residents will rent the homes. Anyone who remains for seven years will be given the opportunity to own the home and property.

The houses are being built by both professional trades people (under the supervision of a general contractor) and volunteer teams who will manage the finishing jobs – tiling, dry walling, painting, gardening, building decks and erecting fences.

If you are interested in hearing more about the project or making a financial contribution, contact Rev. Fowler at ffowler@casscommunity.org. 

If you go to Detroit, don’t miss the opportunity of seeing this amazing project.