We are well into March and it snowed here in Seattle yesterday – ugh. My brain badly needs a Spring reset and I’m going to find one through my favorite means; decluttering my entryway! The second entry in my Spring Decluttering series – here’s why an entryway reset  is such a game changer for your home and your mind.

Number one: it’s the first and last impression your brain experiences as you come and go from your home. All of those small impressions make a big difference over the course of a day or a week. We are (mostly) finished with Winter now, and our entryways have quietly collected detritus over the course of the season. Coats, jackets, shoes, bags, mail and various other items landed there and stayed, acting as a visual reminder of everything we haven’t dealt with yet.

Number 2: as far as decluttering goes, the entryway is low-commitment and high-impact. In other words, you get a lot of bang for your 20-30 minutes. It’s the decluttering equivalent of a cold plunge; it’s uncomfortable for a minute but doesn’t last long and leaves you feeling wonderfully refreshed. Let’s walk through the process of resetting and refreshing your entryway for Spring.

Step 1: Assess

The first step of the entryway reset is a visual assessment of the accumulation. Most entries feel chaotic because they are golding more volume than the space can reasonably handle. This is true whether you enter and exit through a spacious mudroom or a small foyer. Most entryway clutter falls into four categories.

Seasonal Overflow

Boots, coats, hats, gloves and anything else that stuck around after the winter weather subsided.

Package Central

New arrivals, intended returns, eventual dontaions and things you borrowed have all piled up.

Paper Accumulation

In a mostly-digital world, we all continue to receive an alarming amount of paper mail. Not much of it is important, but it represents a visual to-do list that accosts you every time you come or go from the house.

Way Too Many

Shoes, shoppping bags, sunglasses, leashes, caps. These are things that should live in the entry for convenience, but over time the number has multiplied.

Take a few minutes to scan your entry and mentally place your clutter into these categories. It will be helpful as you dive into Step 2.

Step 2: Declutter

Before the entryway can be reset we need to shed the clutter we just identified. Three quick rounds of decluttering executed in a aparticular order does the job efficiently.

Trash

Grab a trash/recycle bag and get going. Shoes/boots that have seen better days? In the bag. Extraneous package materials? In the bag. Junk mail? Toss it. Bonus points for any random broken items you were planning to fix but never will. They can also go in the bag.

Car

Let’s get the donations, store returns, items that need to go back to friends into your car. That takes a only a couple of minutes, tops. But (this is important) – don’t stop there. Take another couple of minutes to commit to a day/time (today, if possible!) that you will execute these errands. I know you’re busy, but if you come up with a plan now you won’t be staring at a pile in your trunk in 6 months. PRO TIP: I do all of my errands in one loop and reward myself at the end at the Starbucks drive-thru.

Re-Home

The winter stuff (or most of it, if winter is lingering where you live) can go back into off-season storage. Make sure you definitely still like and use everything you are packing away. There might be a jacket or two that should go with the donations in your car. Don’t waste time and effort packing away something you don’t need.

Also peel off the extra shoes, bags and random things that migrated to the entry and take them back to their regular homes. The key is to keep only a few necessary items in your entry for convenience. All the things that migrated from other parts of the house need to hurry back home.

Okay, that was the most time-consuming part of the process and I’m betting it didn’t take you long. It’s all downhill from here!

Step 3: Reset

I’m always saying that decluttering solves 80% of organizing problems. This holds true for your entryway reset. Now that you’ve stripped away all of the unneccesary and extraneous stuff it’s so easy to efficiently organize what’s left.

All you really need in an entry is a few hooks for jackets, leashes and caps. Maybe a basket or two for shoes and incoming/outgoing packages. And some sort of receptical for mail – keep it on the smaller side and commit to stripping out the junk mail as soon as it comes through the door.

In most cases, you don’t need any fancy organizing systems – less stuff does the trick!

Reset & Refresh

Your entryway sets the tone for your entire home. When it’s overrflowing (usually at the end of a season) the house feels chaotic before you even step inside. But after you’ve decluttered the difference is immediate and impactful. And now, with just a 30 minute effort, the smallest space in your home just delivered the biggest sense of relief. Congratulations, your home and your mind are now reset for Spring!

The post Why a Spring Entryway Reset Is the Easiest Decluttering Win appeared first on Method Seattle.

As the holiday season winds down I find it helpful to jot down some diary notes regarding what worked, what didn’t and how I can make things better (for me!) next year. This practice is ingrained in me from 30 years in retail, where our Holiday season was so important because of its oversized impact on our results for the year.

Now, however, my midlife holiday diary serves Future Me. I love the holidays so much and so it’s important to me that I actually enjoy them. The lesson it took me many years to learn is that more is not better when it comes to December.The more I can declutter from this month, the more energy I have to enjoy everything it has to give. With that filter in mind, I took a few minutes to reflect on what worked for me this December, and what didn’t. Those few minutes will save me hours of energy and anxiety as the 2026 holiday season approaches. Here’s what I learned, perhaps there are some parallels to your own midlife holiday experience!

Lesson 1: The Big Edits Worked

You may remember from an earlier blog that there were 2 big edits I made to my holiday this year. The first was scrapping my born-in-COVID tradition of baking 10 varieties of cookies during the month and gifting them to friends and family. The second was altering and simplifying the menu for Christmas Dinner.

The first midlife holiday diary entry is to note that both edits were a HUGE win. Until I eliminated both, I did not realize the amount of pressure, energy and stress that cookies and a fancy dinner (who knew?) were costing me! My biggest epiphany was that is wasn’t the actual time it took to make the cookies or the Christmas dinner that was stressing me out – it was the anticipation of how much time that was impacting my ability to have fun doing any of the other holiday things (including sitting by my Christmas tree doing nothing!) By editing both activities I freed my mind up to enjoy everything else – and boy did I. I got so many comments from my friends and family about how much more relaxed I seemed this year. Well, apparently that’s what happens when you declutter the things that aren’t serving you!

Lesson 2: Slow December is not a time to be productive

Every year in December my in-home client work slows way down, which is great. This year was no different. I targeted the week of the 15th to finally finish the Digital Photo Organizing Guide I’d been promising for months. With no in-home sessions that should have been no problem, right? Wrong! What I learned (painfully) this year is that the weeks prior to Christmas (and the week after) are not conducive to productivity. I guess I have the midlife adult version of what my kids used to suffer from every December – I used to call it Christmas Crazy. In those weeks my brain is apparently capable of only short spurts of productivity, not in-depth, focused-brain work. Spoiler Alert, I did not finish the Guide (look for it this month!) It mostly cost me some self-flagellation and time I could have spent relaxing. Midlife holiday diary Lesson for next year – don’t plan any massive projects in December, you won’t get far!

Lesson 3: Family Time Can Just Be Time

Having all 3 of our kids home is always a treat that I look forward to at Christmas. And for some reason, across many years I felt the need to schedule something specific to do as a family. Past activities included The Nutcracker, Zoo Lights and an overnight stay in Leavenworth. Each year there would appear some fly in the ointment: (jet lag, COVID, sibling squabbles, rain, etc., etc., etc.) Then I’d get pissed that I spent money and energy planning said activity and everyone wasn’t having a ‘perfect’ time. So this year? I planned nothing. Our Forced Family Fun activity was an hour hike with Gus followed by breakfast out so we could be out of the way on house-cleaning day. And guess what? It was great. And it cost nothing (well, the hike was nothing, and the breakfast was cheap!)

The lesson is that I do not need to plan an ‘extravaganza’ of a holiday activity for us to have a good time. Turns out, we just need each other’s company.

Midlife Holiday Diary: Lessons Learned

I invite you to take a few minutes of your own to reflect and jot down some notes. I am going to use this blog as my holiday diary. I’ll go back to read it as the 2026 holiday season approaches. Prioritizing my own need to enjoy the holidays is still kind of new to me, but I’m learning! And the diary helps to cement the important lessons. Happy New Year!

The post Midlife Holiday Diary: What Worked, What Didn’t appeared first on Method Seattle.

I love to get my Spotify Wrapped each year (although I have notes, if anyone from Spotify is reading) as well all of the replica versions that keep popping up everywhere (all fun, keep ‘em coming!) It’s so satisfying to review the year in full and see the cream that rose to the top. I derive great pleasure from reviewing my reading history for the year and selecting the Top 10 books I loved best. This year I read 40 new books (plus five re-reads and two I didn’t finish) and there were so many good ones, it was hard to narrow down to just ten!

A few notes about my reading preferences:

• I am a woman in midlife and I read a lot of books authored by women about women.
• I like variety and try to mix it up with fiction and non-fiction 
• I love strong characters
• My non-fiction choices are usually dominated by health and aging as well as understanding the brain and behavior
• I read on my device, listen to audio books and while at the beach I like to read a physical book

I believe time to read is one of the greatest joys of midlife. If I rewind fifteen years back the thought of reading 40 new books would have been laughable to 40-year-old me! Of course it was hard to narrow down to just 10 (I guess it always is, and sometimes I can’t do it!) but here they are in countdown form. I’m only reviewing my top picks but am including the others in each category visually for your reference.

#10: How To Read a Book by Monica Wood

The first book I loved best is a layered literary novel about second chances, forgiveness, and chosen family as three unlikely people — including a woman newly released from prison — connect through literature and healing after loss.This is one of many books I read where the setting was Maine. I loved the unlikely relationships and the themes of redemption and forgiveness. Mostly I loved all 3 main characters.

#9: Lady Tan’s Circle of Women by Lisa See

Historical fiction that brings 15th‑century China to life through Tan Yunxian, one of the rare female physicians of her era, exploring the bonds of women, medical wisdom, and resilience in a patriarchal world. I have never read anything about 15th century China and this book brought it to life for me. I love historical fiction for that. Often, I think about how much more history I would have absorbed in school if I learned it through the lens of historical fiction!

#8: Stress Resets by Jennifer L. Taitz

Of the books I loved best, this science‑backed toolkit from a clinical psychologist is packed with practical advice you can use on the spot. It contains 75 practical techniques to soothe your body and mind in minutes, offering quick resets for emotional overwhelm and building long‑term resilience. I think everyone should own this book! It’s a perfect pocket guide to help you regulate when difficult emotions threaten to derail you. Practical advice and perfect for anyone who struggles with emotions when decluttering!

#7: My Friends by Fredrik Backman

A character‑driven novel about friendship, the strange and beautiful ways people bond, and how those relationships shape our sense of home, belonging, and ourselves.I am a hugeBackman fan – he is one of two male authors that made my top ten this year. I always love the insight into neuro-divergent minds that is always present in his novels. Also – love books about lifelong friendships.

#6: The Names by Florence Knapp

A thought‑provoking literary novel that weaves together domestic abuse, memory, identity, and the legacy of names, exploring how the stories we carry — and the names we give — shape our lives. It’s got a sliding doors feel (which I love) and I felt like Knapp took a unique approach to the device. It was so intriguing to follow three different story lines over decades – and of course I loved the characters.

#5: Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books by Kirsten Miller

A hilarious satirical novel about a Southern town upended when banned books secretly infiltrate a homemade “library,” revealing the transformative power of literature and sparking unexpected change in its residents. Clearly lovingly written by a Southerner – I was smiling the entire time!

#4: Super Agers by Eric Topol, MD

A compelling evidence‑based exploration of longevity, blending cutting‑edge science with practical lifestyle and preventive strategies that show how many of us can extend our health span far into later decades. I’m a fan of Outlive, by Peter Attia, but find him to be a little intense in his style of recommendation. Topol aligns with a lot of what Attia espouses but not all of it, and I like his evidence-based approach. Since I am focused on not having the strokes I saw my mother and grandmother die from – I read a lot about longevity and health span, this one was fantastic!

#3: This American Woman by Zarna Garg

First – if you don’t follow Zarna on the socials you should – that’s how I discovered her. This is a witty, hilarious and heartfelt memoir from Zarna about motherhood, identity, cultural expectations, and finding humor in the messy, beautiful parts of life. She has a compelling story and I was laughing through tears at many parts of the book (including on a run one day where my crying caused me to hyperventilate – thank goodness no one was around when that happened!) The other thing I loved about this memoir was the reinvention story. That resonated for me because I’m on a similar journey myself! Lots of cues to take from Zarna – she’s a go-getter!

#2: Junie by Erin Crosby Eckstein

A heartfelt coming‑of‑age story about a young girl navigating family, identity, and belonging in the American South during slavery, marked by vivid characters and emotional honesty. I was riveted all the way through. It’s another example of historical fiction that puts you in the center of the experience. I’ve recommended this book to everyone I know and received rave reviews from those who’ve read it. So, so good!

#1: The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon

My favorite book of the year. Of all the books I loved best, this one holds the top spot because of how riveted I was. It’s a gripping historical narrative inspired by true events, following the relentless mid‑18th‑century frontier mystery of a missing woman along Maine’s frozen river and the characters drawn into her fate. In case you couldn’t tell, historical fiction is my jam. Holy Moly I was up waaaay late under the covers with this book! I will be reading everything Lawhon has written and will try not to unfairly compare them to this masterpiece but I must say, my expectations will reflexively be high!

I hoped you liked reviewing this list of the books I loved best as much as I liked writing it! For your convenience I’ve assembled a curation of all 40 titles I read in my Amazon Storefront, with my 10 favorites at the top of the list. I’m so excited for a new year of reading in midlife!

The post The Top 10 Books I Loved Best This Year (out of 40!) appeared first on Method Seattle.

Receiving unwanted gifts when you are a midlifer who has been on a decluttering journey hits different. There is heightened awareness around what comes into your house. There is clarity of knowing what has relevance in your life today. And of course there is the mental negotiation of where and how to store something new that has come into your life.

It can be tricky to navigate all of this newfound awareness during a season where the gifts are coming fast and furious from multiple directions. You may find yourself reflexively irritated with the giver for saddling you with something you know will become clutter. You’ve been working so hard to rid your home of the flotsam, and now here comes more stuff to clutter it back up!This is where I say, ‘woooah there Nelly’ – it’s great that you have developed some new neural pathways that have helped you make so much decluttering progress. And it’s okay to let your guard down a little and gratefully receive what is coming to you in this season of giving. I’m going to tell you how, with the help of Miss Manners, a.k.a. Judith Martin.

What To Say When You Receive Unwanted Gifts

Miss Manners is very clear on this point, and I quote:

“All that needs to be said about a present that does not please is a hearty thanks”

• Judith Martin (aka Miss Manners)

That’s all! You don’t make a face. You don’t refuse the gift. You don’t mention the decluttering journey you’ve been on. You merely say ‘Thank You’ and mean it. Because, Gentle Friends, it truly is the thought that counts. Instead of focusing on the potential of clutter in your home, pivot to the sentiment inherent in the gesture of giving a gift. Feel the love and do the next right thing of accepting with gratitude.

Don’t worry, we are going to get to the fate of that gift in a moment. For now, you are detaching from the outcome of what happens in the future and centering on the acts of giving and receiving that are happening right now.

What to do with Unwanted Gifts

Now that you have acted with grace and respect for the feelings of the giver, the gift is in your possession and its fate is up to you. It is okay if you know already that, in your home, this thing is clutter. Because I have a little ritual for you to follow that is designed to keep the clutter at bay while also protecting the feelings of the giver and your own peace!

Here is what I do each year:

First, I set the gift aside in a spot I have designated specifically for gifts that won’t be staying. In my house it is a rolling wooden drawer that resides under the bed in my room. Then I wait a reasonable amount of time (one or two months, tops) until one of the following happens:

• I suddenly realize I will use it/do like it/definitely need it
• I remember someone who may specifically benefit from it/appreciate it

Once the respectable amount of time is up, I feel free to return, regift or donate, whichever makes the most sense. If donation is the final outcome, I just fold the items into the donation box I always keep handy in my garage. When the box is full, I head to the donation drop! Here’s where that decluttering awareness comes back into play and benefits you once again. Because you’ve been working so hard to clear your home of clutter, you know exactly what to do with it! Now that you have done the hard part (designating these gifts as clutter), the rest is just following the process you have been consistently practicing! It’s a beautiful thing, really.

How to Prepare For the Giving Season

The key to avoiding all the stress that comes with unwanted gifts is preparing for it. Mentally and with a plan in place. It is easier to gratefully accept a gift you don’t want or need if you are expecting it and have a plan in place to process it.

My husband was a teacher for many years. Every December he would come home flush with candy, Best Teacher mugs and Starbucks gift cards. The gift cards he would use, but everything else would sit around in our kitchen, piling up as the weeks went by. I would feel terrible all month, knowing we wouldn’t eat the candy or use the mugs. After a few years of this I got smart and entered December prepared with 2 boxes. One was for the candy and one was for anything donatable. The candy box went back to school with my husband, who deposited its contents in the Teacher’s Lounge for all t0 enjoy. The other box went with me on my donation run. No more piles on my counters and no more Candy Guilt. It’s all handled and ceases to cause me any anxiety.

So anticipate that you will receive some clutter in this season of giving. Appreciate the sentiment behind the gifts. Designate a spot for them. And have a plan to remove them when the time comes!

The post Unwanted Gifts? Here’s How to Handle Them With Grace appeared first on Method Seattle.

Thanksgiving weekend is over and it’s time to declutter your holiday before the volume knob turns all the way up over the next 3 weeks! What does that look like? Well, I have a few suggestions of things you can do to simplify your holiday and increase your ability to enjoy the beauty of the season as it was originally intended.

These suggestions come primarily from my own life experience and that of my friends, family and clients. In midlife we are better positioned to identify what is truly important and what we’ve been keeping around via reflex. If you devote a minimal amount of effort to make a few small shifts, the resulting effect on your holiday state of mind can be exponential. Welcome to this month’s Mixed Bag – let’s dig in!

Declutter Your Holiday Cards

Let’s begin with an easy edit. Those holiday cards you’ve been holding on to for decades are likely taking up quite a bit of space in your home. There are two kinds of holiday cards I am referring to:

• The cards you receive from friends and family 
• The leftover cards that you send each year of your own family

I recognize that these both feel illegal to get rid of. Why is that exactly? Because they contain images of people we love and tossing their sweet faces in the recycle bin seems callous and rude! But here’s the thing – it’s not. Those cards aren’t the actual people, they are just images.

If you would like to preserve the images of your friends’ kids growing up over time, may I suggest digitizing the cards instead of keeping the physical copies. That way you get the best of both worlds; you preserve the past and declutter at the same time!

I went through this process myself a few years ago. Back in the day, I pasted all of the holiday cards we received into an album. When I ran out of space in the album, I moved on to a shoe box. When the box filled up, I grabbed a second shoe box. And so on, and so on, and so on! Oh, and I had 2 drawers in my office filled with the ‘extras’ of the family cards I sent out over the years. These cards that I had been keeping around were now taking up a material amount of space in my home and there was no end in sight (as Christmas continues to come year after year!) It was time to prioritize my space instead of the mountains of cards that I never looked at. So into the recycle bin they all went. I haven’t missed them!

Declutter Your Holiday Decorations

The next Declutter Your Holiday assignment is your holiday decor. You are pulling everything out now (if you haven’t already), which is often the hardest part of the process. While you have everything out in the open, take the opportunity to separate the following categories:

• Anything Broken
• Anything you don’t care for
• Anything you didn’t put out last year (or the year before, or the year before)

Now, the broken stuff can go straight into the trash. And the rest can go into the donation bag/box. Put that box in the back of your car and the next time you are doing errands, swing by your favorite donation drive-thru and drop it off. Done and dusted!

This year I focused on an ornament purge. We have WAY too many ornaments and so many of them are left after the tree is full. As we were decorating, I pulled aside ornaments that our dog had damaged and the ‘rejects’ that haven’t made it to the tree in multiple years. Also, there were several that I bought years ago in a frantic moment when I thought I needed more shiny ball ornaments. The only ones Target had that day were striped and so ugly, but I bought them anyway?  There is no reason to keep them – so they went into the donation box. I’m going to do the same exercise when we take things down, because I know my kids hung  a few that were supposed to be in the donation pile. (Diary note for next year, do my purge before they get into the ornament boxes!)

Declutter Your Holiday Traditions

Last but not least – let’s do a quick declutter of your holiday traditions. I’m sure you have at least one that isn’t serving you. Is there an event you’ve ‘always’ gone to that seems like a chore? An activity you put in a lot of effort to keep up that no one else seems to appreciate? A gathering that includes a bunch of folks who bring you down instead of lift you up?

Everyone has something they can edit. I’m not advocating you wipe out your entire holiday agenda, just make a few cuts here and there so you have more time to relax and enjoy the activities that are important enough to keep.

Here are two fresh examples from my holiday season. In 2020 we were in the throes of the pandemic and Christmas was cancelled. I LOVE Christmas and wanted to offset my sadness with a holiday-related activity. So I decided to make 10 different varieties of holiday cookies, box them up and deliver them to all of my family and friends. This helped me feel festive and connected to my people. It was a lot of work, but there was a lot I couldn’t do so I was grateful to focus on baking. My people gave the cookies rave reviews so I continued the tradition the next year and each December since 2020. The difference is that the other holiday traditions that fell off the calendar 5 years ago are now back on. And like I said, those cookies took a lot of work! Last year I found myself dreading the cookie-making instead of enjoying it. It caused me stress instead of joy. So this year I’m not doing it!

Example number 2: Christmas Dinner. We host a huge fondue party on Christmas Eve. It’s my favorite part of the holiday season and I love to do it. We also host a much smaller family gathering for Christmas dinner the next day. I’ve taken great pains to make a fabulous meal, inclusive of multiple dishes that feel special and traditional. The problem is, now that I’m in midlife I’m pretty tired after the fondue party. While the rest of my family is lounging around, enjoying their Christmas Day, I’m striking the set from the night before, re-scaping the table for the family party and slaving away in the kitchen in hours before they arrive. I’m exhausted and not very much fun when they arrive.

So – I’m decluttering the complicated meal this year. I’m going to make a lasagna the week before and stick it in the freezer. Then all I’ll have to do is pull it out and stick it in the oven. I’ll get several hours of my Christmas Day time back – and that feels like heaven. 

You’ve Got This!

Each year I find one or two holiday things that need decluttering. And when I edit them, it feeds my holiday spirit anew. I encourage you to try it! Remember, you can start small – maybe just the cards this year. Even a small shift can make a big difference in your ability to enjoy this special season!

The post Declutter Your Holiday: Simple Midlife Shifts for a More Joyful Season appeared first on Method Seattle.

I have to say, when you help others declutter, write about it weekly and live it as a lifestyle it can be especially challenging to give gifts! I am not a worrier by nature and yet I can’t stop wondering if a gift I give will end up as clutter. Throw in the fact that I’m now in midlife and many of the people I exchange gifts with are the same folks I’ve given gifts to for decades and it’s a wonder I get any gift shopping done at all!

I have written blogs in past years about clutter-free gifts, and I do often give truly experiential gifts within my family. But at the end of the day I’ve had to take some of my own advice usually reserved for decluttering. That is, do your best to be thoughtful, give the gift with love and detach from the post-gift outcome. I do my best to be thoughtful and intentional and then let the rest go.With that in mind, this blog is a gifting guide stemming from my own experience as a gift-giver and gift-receiver. It includes the gifts I’ve given that have been well-received, the gifts I’ve received that I’ve loved, and the gifts I’m giving this year. I’ve included links to everything for your convenience. Please note that on many of the items I receive an affiliate commission. I didn’t choose them because of the commission, I assure you! I hope you find some inspiration in this list and it makes your clutter-free gift giving odyssey a little bit easier this year!

Clutter-Free Gifts I’ve Given

These are the gifts I’ve given to multiple people, on multiple occasions, sometimes more than once! With one exception, I own every one of them myself as well. They have been well-received by various genders and ages and receive high marks on the quality scale.

The first is the Aura Digital Frame. This was my big inspiration last year and everyone from my dad to my in-laws to my husband received one at some point. Digital frames have been around for a while, obviously – but this one takes the experience to a whole other level. You can pre-load pictures without opening the box, perfect for gift-giving! The images are the highest quality resolution. The frame design is sleek and comes in multiple sizes and colors. The best thing about the digital frame though, is that it is a vehicle to actually enjoy the thousands of photos we’ve all accumulated over time. It’s surprise and delight every time you walk by.

Next up is the Ember Smart Mug. This was on my list last year and I loved it so much I decluttered a bunch of my old mugs and proceeded to give Embers to multiple friends and family members. The Ember mug keeps your coffee or tea at the perfect temperature for the whole time you are drinking it. It won’t burn your mouth, it won’t get cold – it’s like the Goldilocks of mugs! It comes in two sizes and multiple colors.

Bombas socks have been high on my gift-giving and receiving) list for years. They are the best athletic socks I’ve ever known (and I’ve sampled a lot of brands.) I’ve given them to my husband who is also hooked), my kids, my friends, their kids. It’s hard to find someone who hasn’t received Bombas from me! Over the years they have branched out beyond just athletic socks and I have many styles on my list for Santa this year. They also have a giving mission and donate one pair of socks for every one you buy. Home run!

Graeter’s ice cream is a company out of Cincinnati that ships their ice cream products all over the US. I heard about them from Wirecutter. Last year I gave an ice cream ‘party’ to a couple of families and the response was resoundingly positive! Especially good for folks who have a house full of guests for the holidays, fun for them and a load off for the hosts!

Last but not least, this list would not be complete without the gift I’ve been giving for decades. I’ve had to dial down my own glassybaby giving over the years because my friends all have full collections now! If you are unfamiliar, glassybabies are hand-blown glass votives. The company originated here in Seattle and, like Bombas, they’ve had a giving mission from the start. They give 10% from every purchase to non-profits that help people, animals and the planet. I own over 100 of them myself, and enjoy their color and light on a daily basis!

Clutter-Free Gifts I’ve Received

One of the reasons I declutter in midlife is to make room for upgrades. I feel at this juncture of my life that I’ve worked hard and deserve the best. Less things, higher quality. These are some of the gifts I’ve received that make midlife a pleasure.

I first saw a Marshall speaker at the home of my best friend and instantly fell in love. It’s the look and feel of vintage combined with modern excellence in sound. My husband gifted me one that sits in my office. When I’m writing I stream calming classical as I work. I am delighted every time I look at the speaker. It’s my ideal: functional and beautiful.

Slippers are a common holiday gift, and there are many fine choices out there Bombas has a cute pair!) However, my menopausal feet are too hot for slippers – boo. And yet, I want to feel cozy at home. Enter these Birkenstock Shearling sandals. They are adorable.They keep my feet cozy but my toes are constantly exposed to keep me from over-heating. Plus, obviously such a comfortable footbed!

I’m kind of sick of talking about my weighted vest, except that I’m still talking about it all the time. (Betting that my 83 year old dad won’t read this blog, but he’s getting one from me this year!) Maybe it’s cliche (mid-fifties white woman extoles virtues of weighted vests) but I really do believe in the benefits. If you strip back all of the hubbub and the studies, here’s what I know. Serious hikers for decades have trained for challenging hikes by carrying weighted rucksacks. Adding some weight to your daily walking habit is such a good thing – especially for women in midlife who are at risk of muscle loss. I love my weighted vest – and I’m betting my dad will too!

Speaking of muscle loss, what about muscle soreness? My friends gifted me a Therbody Mini massager for my birthday a couple of years ago. I had seen its large counterpart before but it was large and awkward-looking. This guy is small and elegant and fits beautifully in my hand. I use it regularly for recovery from workouts and it helps so much with muscle soreness. It’s the gift that keeps on giving!

Lastly, I’m plugging this jacket from one of my favorite brands, Vuori. I got my Canyon jacket two years ago for Christmas and I love it so much I’m asking Santa for a second color this year. I love this jacket because it’s mid-weight so I can layer (or not!), has roomy zip pockets, and best of all, it has no hood so I can layer it over my many hooded sweatshirts! They were smart and offer many colors this year – how will I ever choose?

Clutter-Free Gifts I’m Giving This Year

Every year I like to gift books – they are my go-to, especially when I’m not feeling inspired by anything else. I’m revealing more gift choices for family members publicly here, but that tells you how often my family actually reads this blog 😂 If anyone out there is proving me wrong, spoiler alert!

For my husband I’m gifting Happy Go-Lucky by David Sedaris. I recently took him to see David speak and Jay was immediately taken with him as most are. So now he can continue to be entertained with dry wit as I am! For my brother I’m giving Giants beat-writer Alex Pavlovic’s book, The Franchise – a modern history of The San Francisco Giants. I realize most of you probably don’t care about my baseball team, but for those who do, this book is fun frolic through the championship years and beyond. My brother will love it! And for my girlfriends I’m giving Michelle Obama’s latest book, The Look. It’s an evolution of her style and my girlfriends love Michelle and her style! My sister-in-law will be getting my favorite novel of 2025, The Frozen River, by Ariel Hawthorne. (Stay tuned for my full Top Ten list.)

Back to Vuori, it’s not just for women, they do great work for men too! My husband’s daily uniform is garment-dyed denim, a patterned button-down and a vest. He has the classic Patagonia in many colors but lately I’ve been infusing his vest collection with some Vuori as well. He won’t be surprised but he will be very pleased!

And my grown kids? Well, they like to send me links – which I appreciate. Several years ago I gave up the ghost on the last minute scramble to stuff their stockings after finding stuffers from years past in their rooms, neglected. Done with that clutter cluster! Now I stock their stockings with fun bath/skincare products I know they use like Kopari Hair & Body Mists and Patchology Eye Patches. The point is to let them lead and not over-do it just to fill the stocking. Less is more!

I’ve got most of this stuff organized in my LTK shop (you can follow me here) for easy reference. Additionally, several are also in my Amazon storefront (which you can visit here.) In any case, I hope this list inspired you or at least entertained you! Happy Clutter-Free Gifting to All!

The post My Clutter-Free Gifts to Give (and Get!) in Midlife appeared first on Method Seattle.

For me, October has always signaled the transition to Fall more than the ramp-up to Halloween. I did enjoy the cute-overload of my kids in their costumes and pumpkin-shaped candy buckets. But once that era was behind me I was kind of over the whole Halloween thing. I much prefer the things that make me feel cozy and Fall-forward to the spiders, skeletons and other creepy decor that traditionally take up residence everywhere around me.

Even Halloween itself has taken on a different vibe in midlife. We no longer carve pumpkins. I stopped putting out the little pumpkin-shaped candles that light the way to our front door. And I’m sorry-not-sorry that we turn out our lights so as to indicate that no one is home once the super-littles on our street have come by for their candy. 

So my transition to Fall is not Halloween-themed. But that doesn’t mean I don’t mark the occasion with a few choice rituals and intentional activities. This week I’m cataloguing some of the things I’m doing to transition to Fall – welcome to the October Mixed Bag!

Fall Decor + Decluttering

A seasonal transition provides an excellent opportunity to declutter. Every year when I transition to Fall, I aim a critical eye on what decor I still have and what I actually use. For example, when I went to grab my pumpkin dishtowels from the dishtowel drawer I had to dig them out from under a huge pile. Many in the pile had holes or stains, so I decluttered them. It took less than 5 minutes.

Another example: I’ve pretty much deleted the kind of decorations I have to store in favor of things found in nature. Mums in pots. Gourds on my table. Pumpkins at our front entrance. Not only do these things feel authentically Fall, but I don’t have to store them when I’m done. I can just chuck them in the compost bin! I probably spend more money than I used to but it also feels like less work for me; that’s a good trade in my book!

Fall To-Do List

My transition to Fall is also a ramp up to the holiday season. If I knock out a few holiday-related to-do’s now, it saves me time and stress once the season kicks into gear in November. One to-do on my list this month is polishing my silver tea service. It was my grandmother’s and sits on a credenza near our dining room table. I polish it 2-3 times a year to keep it gleaming since it’s visible from almost every angle in our main living space. Sitting down to polish it now means I don’t have to do it in the crazy run-up to Thanksgiving. I add to the Fall vibe by putting a Jane Austen movie on in the background and drinking tea while I polish. It feels cozy and warm and looks so good when I’m done!

New on my Fall To-Do list this year is practicing piano. Specifically, Christmas carols. When my dad moved this summer we inherited the baby grand piano that’s been in my family for 3 generations. I’ve had a dream of friends and family singing Christmas carols around that piano like my family used to do when I was young. Now we have the piano, but my playing skills are pretty rusty! Taking 15 minutes each day to re-familiarize myself with reading the music and nailing the fingering will help me to achieve my dream come December 24th. Breaking it down into super-small pieces is how I won’t overwhelm myself and burn out.

Fall Watch List

Remember when all of your favorite tv shows would come back into your life each Fall? Well, network TV may not be a thing anymore but the streaming services have caught on to how much fun this used to be. The transition to Fall this year includes the return of so many favorites! Jay and I will cling to our last few weeks of baseball, but in between times here are the shows we’ll be tuned into:

The Great British Baking Show – Netflix. Reality TV for the person who otherwise can’t stand it!

The Morning Show – Apple TV+. I love this show, the core cast is amazing and each season they bring on some new faces. For Season 4 Jeremy Irons and Marion Cotillard join the cast!

Slow Horses – Apple TV+. If you haven’t checked this one out yet, you need to get on it. Gary Oldman stars as a washed out British spy leading a misfit MI-6 team. But my favorite is Jack Lowden as River Cartwright (dreamy.)

Shrinking – Apple TV+. I love ensemble casts and this show has a whopper! And it’s so much fun to see Harrison Ford play for laughs. Plus Jeff Daniels is joining the fun to play Jimmy’s dad – I’m certain that chaos will ensue! 

And because I’m a Jason Bateman fan, we’ll also be watching Black Rabbit (Netflix) as soon as the Word Series wraps. I know – it’s a lot! But curling up in a blanket in front of a quality show is one of my favorite parts of Fall. So when the roster is bountiful I take advantage!

Happy Fall Y’all!

The post October Mixed Bag: A Cozy Midlife Transition to Fall appeared first on Method Seattle.

Every Fall I swap my closet. For years our primary bedroom closet was not big enough to house my generous wardrobe (a mainstay of my then career in fashion retail.) Everything ‘off-season’ I kept in our guest room closet downstairs. The closet swap was a big job in those days, requiring multiple trips up and down the stairs. Because it was kind of a pain, I developed some rituals around it to make it feel less like a chore and more like a fun activity.

Today our closet is twice the size and my wardrobe reduced significantly so there is room for all seasons. The closet swap is easier because there is less stuff and I don’t have to cart anything up and down stairs. And the ritual has evolved further to represent an opportunity to declutter instead of just swapping seasons. 

Here are the swaps I focus on each Fall as I prepare for ‘sweatah weathah’ and take advantage of the chance to keep my closet beautifully shoppable!

Spring/Summer for Fall/Winter

Keeping to the original purpose of the closet swap, I bring the colder-weather categories forward while banishing the warmer weather items to less accessible spots. This exercise can vary in its flavor for differently sized closets and different climates. If you are in a southern clime with less seasonal variation there may not be a lot to swap. Working with small closet real-estate means you may be pulling the spring/summer clothes out of the closet completely so you have room for fall/winter. If your closet is of the large, walk-in variety it may be a matter of merely switching some categories around to make the current season items visible and easy to grab.

In my closet, I don’t need to touch my hanging categories at all. But I bring my bulkier sweaters and long jeans down from higher shelves. Then I move shorts and sleeveless knits up high. A bigger job is putting my sandals away in their shoeboxes up high around the perimeter of the closet. Next I my boots from captivity. This exercise is a bit cumbersome, I admit. But that is why I bring the party vibes and take my time about it!

New for Old

I use my bi-annual closet swap to make room for anything new I’ve acquired over the previous months. Because I do like to shop, the new stuff sneaks in and I don’t edit anything old in real time to make room. If I already have a lot in certain categories then things start to look pretty messy over time. Until it’s time for the closet swap!

The two categories that are abundant for me in this stage of midlife are sweatshirts and sneakers. Because I wear them a lot I’m often tempted by new and fun versions that make their way into my closet. For instance, three new sweatshirts and 4 new pairs of sneakers joined my wardrobe since my last swap. Since I didn’t really have room they were kind of shoved/tossed in. During my swap I purposefully created room for them.

First I decluttered my sweatshirts. I donated 3 total; two were part of sets I got during the pandemic and wore to death. One was an impulse buy (also during the pandemic!) that I never wear. That created room for my three new guys. Sneakers were a different story – I only found one pair to donate. Which lead me to the third opportunity to swap.

Space for Deadwood

I often tout the value of space as a mindset shift when decluttering. What I mean by that is to place the same value on open space as you do on the things taking up the space. In a closet setting that means giving yourself room to ‘shop’ your closet. 

My new shoes caused the space allocated for sneakers to overflow. Instead of neat rows, they were more like piles – not very visually appealing and hard to ‘shop’. And because I only got rid of one pair of sneakers I still had a problem.

The solution was to allocate more space for sneakers by decluttering a different category and shrinking its footprint. What I discovered in this year’s swap was how many empty shoe boxes were taking up the real estate on my high shelves. Over the past few years I’d done a good job of editing out shoes I no longer wore (heels!) but I somehow didn’t edit the boxes.

Once I got rid of the excess boxes I used the space to place other shoe categories that I wear less frequently than sneakers. Which in turn gave me more sneaker space. Now I have room to see all of my sneakers. And can easily grab the pair that tickles my fancy that day.

I also took the opportunity to peruse through my other clothing categories, looking for things I don’t really wear anymore. I found several tee shirts, workout tops, a pair of sandals and some leggings that were languishing at the back of drawers. Those drawers look and feel so much better now!

Chaos for Order

The closet swap is such a good ritual to keep your closet decluttered and shoppable. But if you haven’t even done one you may find it overwhelming to start cold turkey. If your closet is a source of stress, I recommend starting with my Bedroom & Closet Room Guide instead of a swap. It will guide you through a full closet reset, including preparation steps, decluttering and organizing. I’ve included so many category-specific tips, hacks and product recommendations. You can turn your closet into a shoppable boutique, no matter what size it is!

Happy Fall and Happy Closet Swapping to you!

The post Closet Swap Therapy: Declutter, Refresh, Repeat appeared first on Method Seattle.

My decorations are down, the refrigerator is cleared out and the local Scout Troop  has picked up our tree… I’m ready to hack the New Year! I love a good clean slate, and the twelve month horizon feels ripe with possibilities ready to pluck as they go by. I’m dedicating this month’s Mixed Bag to hacks. Specifically, a hack for achieving New Year’s resolutions, one for optimizing the 2025 holiday season and  a third for overcoming the hurdles of emotional decluttering. Oh, and also I was hacked recently…

Getting Hacked

Instead of ‘How To Hack The New Year’, I might have titled this post ‘How To Get Hacked’ as I have been immersed in the subject for almost a week. One morning I innocently clicked into an email I thought was from Meta and before I knew it a hacker had taken over my Instagram account. I’ve spent the last several days trying to recover my account, with unsatisfying results. There is still hope and with a friend’s help (who works for Meta) I should know within the next week if I am able to recover the account or if I’ll have to start over. Send good thoughts!

I now have new respect for anyone who has been hacked. I feel bonded with the heroine of one of my favorite books of 2024, Mrs. Plansky’s Revenge. Mrs. Plansky is the victim of a scam, which she refuses to take lying down. I am trying hard to channel her energy – wish me luck!

Resolutions: Goals vs Practices

Enough about my hacker, here is a way you can hack your New Year, specifically your resolutions. I think most people’s goals for the New Year fall into 2 categories. They are either lofty (I’m going to lose 30 lbs) or vague (I’m going to get fit) or both. If you have a New Year’s resolution you’d really like to get after (decluttering, anyone?) here’s the hack.

Don’t focus on the goal. If you have one fine, but set it aside. Goals are all about the results (the marathon, the weight goal, the decluttered home.)  What you want to target are the practices that lead to those results.

I guarantee that if you put your energy into small, consistent practices that relate to your goals, you’ll be in position to achieve them. Practices could look like running 3 times a week, eating 30 plants a week or decluttering one drawer/cabinet every week. The practice should be your commitment, not the goal. In fact, if you threw the goal out and only focused on your practices, there’s a good chance you’ll look up one day and fail to see your goal…. because you surpassed it!

Holiday Diary Notes

I grew up at Nordstrom and so I know that if you want to hack the New Year (or any big event, really), diary notes should be your best friend. Our two biggest events of the year at Nordstrom were our Anniversary Sale in July and Holiday in December. Those 2 events drove a significant portion of our annual sales and since they only came along once a year we put a lot of effort into improving them each time. A huge key to improving on something so important was keeping a diary in the moment of what we could do better next time.

I have adopted this practice in my personal life as well. Holiday looms just as large in my life as it did in my Nordstrom days. Every year I make Diary Notes detailing what I want to do differently next year. It’s important to actually document the ideas because I can’t trust my memory these days (shakes fists at Menopause). Here are my Holiday Diary Notes from 2024, if you’re interested:

• Make less cookies. I got hugely into holiday cookie baking during the pandemic and was baking 8-10 varieties and giving them out to friends and family. What I noticed this year is 1) the baking has started to feel stressful and 2) between the cookies we receive from others and the fact that my family is picky about which cookies they like a lot of the cookies go to waste. So next year – 2 varieties tops!
• It’s okay to skip some traditions/decorations one year. We don’t have to watch every holiday movie every year. I forgot to put up one of the decor items I love this year and no one noticed (except me!) People get sick and it foils some plans. I have learned not to let these things bother me if they happen. As I get older the years feel shorter, next Christmas will come soon enough!
• Simplify Christmas Dinner. We host a big fondue party on Christmas Eve and it’s my favorite of all our traditions. It’s also a lot of work. Then I turn around and host a much smaller Christmas Dinner the next day. In the old days my parents would host Christmas dinner. That tradition ended when my mom had a stroke so I’ve done both for the past 10 years. And what I’ve realized is that it’s too much for me and it’s stealing my joy on Christmas Day. So I’m taking a note from my best friend, who is in the same boat as me. She ditched her fancy Christmas Day menu this year in favor of lasagnas she purchased from a catering company. And she had a wonderful, stress-free Christmas Day! So next year I’m following suit!
• New tradition: Movie with the kids every night. This year we figured out that we got to spend a lot more time with our kids if we ditched the TV shows currently in our rotation in favor of movies. Each night we watched a movie and once it was over we took turns suggesting the next movie, which had to include one of the actors from the one we had just watched. It was fun and a novelty and our college + kids were into it. I loved it – winner tradition!
• Gruyere (& Emmenthaler?) at Costco. If I’m going to brave Costco at Holiday time I should absolutely get the 5lbs of cheese I need for the fondue party instead of paying an arm and a leg for it at Whole Foods. Hopefully Costco has Emmenthaler!

Coming Soon – Emotional Decluttering Course

I’ve heard loud and clear from my community that they would like to hack the New Year by finally decluttering all the stuff they’ve been afraid to touch. It’s the number one topic they ask me to make reels about and write about. And I get the most questions on this topic as well. So, I’m in the process of creating an online course that will include all of my knowledge and wisdom reagrding emotional decluttering. The subject is too big for a downloadable guide; I felt that the right educational format was an E-Course.

I’m really excited about it! I’m not going to share too many details, except to say it will cover everything from sentimental attachment to decluttering your kids’ stuff to waste and the Sunk Cost Fallacy. There are so many emotional hurdles that come along with decluttering; overcoming them will also give you the confidence to tackle other hard things in your life!

I’m hoping to launch in late January/early February, so stay tuned!

Well, that’s what I’ve got for this week. Let’s all get out there and be hackers this year, the good kind!

The post January Mixed Bag: How to Hack the New Year appeared first on Method Seattle.

It’s the last week of the year, the last week of Christmas vacation and the last chance to share my favorite non-fiction books of 2024. (Last week was for my fiction picks.) I read way less non-fiction than fiction so the list is shorter. However, I’m drawn to books that help me understand my own brain and the human brain in general.  So the short list is usually really relevant to what I’m really trying to get at; namely insights that help people do the hard work of decluttering. When you understand what is going on in your brain and body you have fought over half the battle. Information is power! Anyway – here are my Top 4 non-fiction picks.

Tiny Habits – BJ Fogg

I’m a bit obsessed with Habits, so this is #1 on my non-fiction list. If you’ve been reading for a while you already know my passion for Atomic Habits by James Clear. Habits are the secret sauce of productivity. Once you know how to ‘trick’ your brain into adopting them you can completely up-level your ability to complete projects, conquer overwhelm and do Hard Things!  BJ Fogg’s insights and framework are equally as compelling as Clear’s, with a focus on habit design that I find speaks well to folks with any kind of Attention Deficit. I considered myself an expert on habits after reading and practicing Atomic Habits but I learned even more after Tiny Habits. I echo concepts from both Clear and Fogg all the time in my reels and posts, so when you read the book you’ll feel right at home!

Hidden Potential – Adam Grant

Want to get better at something you feel you aren’t naturally good at? This non-fiction book will give you the confidence to tackle Hard Things. It’s ultimately a book about how to bring out human potential via learning (vs. hard work.)  I love Adam Grant – his books are not too ‘sciency’ and are easily digestible even though he’s wicked-smart.

After reading it myself I gifted this book to my educator husband. If you have kids in your life it’s a wonderful blueprint for helping them grow and succeed, regardless of talent (or perceived lack of!)

Break the Cycle – Dr. Mariel Buque

I often find my non-fiction selections from podcasts. The concept of inter-generational trauma literally blew my mind when I first heard about it on We Can Do Hard Things. There are so many ties between inter-generational trauma and the emotional challenges of decluttering! When I read the book, it was like someone turned the light on in a dark room and I could suddenly see everything inside. Those neural pathways that prevent you from letting go of things could literally be carried in your genes, passed on from previous generations.

I loved learning about this topic. It gave me a lot of insight and helped me better support my coaching clients. If you have a hard time emotionally with decluttering (or other Hard Things), you should check this book out!

The New Menopause – Mary Claire Haver

Okay full disclosure, this non-fiction book doesn’t really have a decluttering connection. But as a woman in the menopausal season of life (as many in my community are) it is a MUST READ. I have been a fan of Dr. Mary Claire for some time now and thanks to her I began my own Menopausal Hormone Therapy journey and am feeling so much better!

Dr. Haver breaks down everything about menopause in this book – from symptoms to what is happening in your body and how to navigate your own journey.

If human psychology is my #1 non-fiction genre, then health-span is #2. I believe strongly in doing everything I can to improve the quality of my midlife and beyond so I can fully enjoy everything those seasons have to offer. Navigating menopause is a very important component of that mission. If you are a woman in your 40s or above I highly recommend reading this book – it’s a game-changer!

Next week will mark the return on regularly-scheduled blog content. I’ve got some great topics to cover in the New Year, inspired by many of your requests. In the meantime, I’ve assembled my Favorite Books of 2024 in my Amazon shop – enjoy!

The post The Non-Fiction Books I Couldn’t Put Down This Year (And Why You Should Read Them) appeared first on Method Seattle.