What are you storing in your castle?

"I remember, way back when..." before the advent of e-readers and electronic delivery of newspapers, magazines, etc., I would clip things from the newspaper such as want-ads, job offers, recipes, cartoons and Dear Abby. 

And well before I read the newspaper with any real interest, I had been know to carefully slice pictures of the latest teen heart-throb, hairstyle, or fashion tip from whatever magazine was popular at the time.  

For many older adults, those newspaper clippings are a link to the past.  A reminder of events from an earlier time and place.  Maybe it is the obituary of a loved one or friend.  Maybe it is about a historical event.  Or perhaps is was recap of a winning game from their favorite team or athlete.  Those clippings could be about anything!  And at the time they were clipped, it was important.

Tip:  If you are trying to simplify your life, sorting through things and happen to come across a collection of old newspaper clippings or even photos here are a few ideas.

• Depending on the age, condition, and location from where the papers or photos came, there might be some value to a historical society.  
• If it's sentimental or has familial value, you could scan the articles and save them digitally.   

Unfortunately, paper of any kind tends to be a tasty treat for bugs. And that's just an inviting all sorts of problems.  Not to mention, storing papers could be a fire hazard!

So, don't be like Bruce (the guy up top in the cartoon) using your castle to store clippings.  :o)

For more information on how A Stress-Less Transition, LLC can help you, please visit our website.

It's a generational thing.

Yes, it really is a "generational thing".  

We've got the GI Generation:  (born 1901-1927) those who grew up during the Great Depression and went on to fight in World War II.  (Believe it or not, some of these folks are still very much alive!)  Growing up during the Depression, everything was conserved/saved and nothing went to waste. Pennies were pinched and dollars stretched.  No frivolous spending!

Then there are the Baby Boomers:  (born 1946-1964) 76 million children of the GI Generation were born during the Post WWI War baby boom. This generation is closely associated with a rejection of or redefinition of traditional values. Health, wealth and prosperity belong to this generation.    Surplus, excess and mid-life crises.  "Sex, drugs and rock and roll." 

On January 1st, 2011 the very first Baby Boomers turned 65.  That's about 20 million people.

Today, America's seniors are living longer and the cost of health care is rising dramatically. And so, it's going to be pretty expensive to take care of all the retiring Baby Boomers.  

The Sandwich Generation (and I'm not talking PB&J):  this is the generation of adults who are taking care of elderly parents while still supporting their own children.  1 of every 8 Americans aged 40 to 60 is both raising a child and caring for a parent, in addition to between 7 to 10 million adults caring for their aging parents from a long distance.  

Carol Abaya categorized the different scenarios involved in being a part of the sandwich generation.

• Traditional: those sandwiched between aging parents who need care and/or help and their own children.
• Club Sandwich: those in their 50s or 60s sandwiched between aging parents, adult children and grandchildren, or those in their 30s and 40s, with young children, aging parents and grandparents.
• Open Faced: anyone else involved in elder care

TIP:  Knowing the history and 'culture' of each generation may give a little insight to why our parents, grandparents, friends, acquaintances and older adults act the way they do. (But it doesn't explain everything!)  And learning there are resources available to those in the Sandwich Generation to help with the care of their elderly loved ones.

For more information on how A Stress-Less Transition, LLC can help you, please visit our website.

Making choices

I have been a big fan of New Yorker cartoons for a while and have used them in the past as a jumping off point for sharing tips and suggestions.


My interpretation of this cartoon (from the perspective of helping older adults downsize) is that the husband is having a difficult time with decision making.  In fact, he seems to be quite traumatized as most people are when it comes to a life-changing decision to move.


I would have to agree with the wife that keeping the mutual funds is a really good idea.    


But how do you decide what other 'keepsakes' to save, especially when keeping them all isn't an option?


TIP: When it comes to sorting the 'stuff', start small.  Remember the saying,

  "Don't eat the elephant all in one bite."  

Let's start with one drawer - the infamous JUNK DRAWER.  (Nobody wants to admit they have one, but we all have at least one.)


Ask yourself:
Do I use this every day or a few times a week?  
    Then it's probably ok to keep.


Do I use this just on special occasions?  
  Well, what special occasions?  How often?  If you can't recall the last time you used it, probably time to find it a new home (i.e. pass along to friend or family, donate or trash).


Well, what do we have here?  How in the world did this get in here?  Probably means you don't use it and it could be donated or put in the trash.


Stay tuned...more tips (and cartoons) to come.  


Good luck with your sorting!

And so it begins

Yep, it's pretty scary launching a new business, especially after having been out of the work-force for seven years.  But I know that I will enjoy helping older adults and adult children create a stress-less move for their loved-one. 

Over the years, I have helped family and friends with the daunting task of dealing with a houseful of stuff when their mothers moved from long-time family homes to retirement communities and then when they were unable to return to independent living.  Given those experiences, I had a bright idea that this would be something I would enjoy and could be successful doing! 

Little did I know there is a whole industry called Senior Move Management!   (Fortunately, it's relatively new and given the recent statistics about the growing number of baby boomers it's bound to grow, quickly.)

This is the first of many posts.  I will share tips, information, and suggestions as well as my experiences as a Senior Move Manager helping older adults and families have a stress-less transition when dealing with the accumulations and treasures.

Please check the website for more details.  And don't forget you can follow this blog by email.  (Just enter your email address toward the top of the page and any time this blog is updated, it will appear in your inbox.)

Are you ready to start this adventure?  I am!