The holidays are here and as we take a break to spend time with family, we send you are warmest holiday wishes! We hope you enjoy this trip down memory lane to our first ever episode of our little podcast for women over 50. It's all about decluttering your closet. It's a true must-listen!
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Help us with production costs!
The holidays are here and as we take a break to spend time with family, we send you are warmest holiday wishes! We hope you enjoy this trip down memory lane to our first ever episode of our little podcast for women over 50. It's all about decluttering your closet. It's a true must-listen!
Join our ladies only Facebook group!
Leave us a voicemail!
To inquire about advertising on Uncluttered and Unfiltered:
email edenocr@gmail.com
Watch and Subscribe on Youtube
Visit our website and sign up to be notified of all our new episodes
Follow us on Instagram: UnclutteredandUnfiltered
Follow us on Facebook: Uncluttered and Unfiltered
Neatly Designed @neatlydesigned
Eden on Instagram @eden_the_running_dj
Shop Christine's Amazon Store
Shop Christine's LTK
UNCLUTTERED AND UNFILTERED IS SUPPORTED BY PAINCAKES. VISIT WWW.PAIN-CAKES.COM
UNCLUTTERED AND UNFILTERED IS SUPPORTED BY HEARTS 4 MINDS. VISIT HEARTS4MINDS.ORG
Help us with production costs!
Welcome and Merry Christmas. Happy holidays everybody. We are excited to share something with you that neither of us have heard in a really long time.
Speaker 2:A really long time.
Speaker 1:So we started this podcast August of 2022. Can you believe?
Speaker 2:that.
Speaker 1:And now we're looking at going into 2024. It's hard to imagine We've come a long way, and when I say we, I mean all of us together, all of you ladies that are part of our enclostered and unfiltered ladies only group, everybody that's ever listened to a single episode. We'd like to think that we've learned and grown and gotten maybe a little bit more smooth, a little bit more professional. Whether we have or we haven't, you know, it is what it is right, exactly, and it's the first episode.
Speaker 2:So if you are just listening for the first time, no better time to listen.
Speaker 3:Okay, so we're going to throw it back today and listen to the very first time that Christine and I got together to record an episode of Uncluttered and Unfiltered Welcome to Uncluttered and Unfiltered the podcast urging you to let it go and don't look back With nationally acclaimed professional organizer Christine Stone and self proclaimed hot damn mess radio and TV personality Eden Kindle.
Speaker 1:Welcome everybody to Uncluttered and Unfiltered. We are your hosts. I'm Eden Kindle.
Speaker 2:And I am Christine Stone.
Speaker 1:And, as you heard by our intro, christine is a widely acclaimed professional organizer. I on the other hand am a hot mess. I mean, I'll just say it right there, I'm kind of a messy person, I'm a broadcaster, but that's how we got together. And, speaking of that, how excited are you that we're here and finally doing our podcast.
Speaker 2:I am so excited. We have been talking about this for so long and it's now a reality, and I am thrilled.
Speaker 1:So one person asked me what can I expect with this podcast? You and Christine and I said picture Marie Kondo has a heckler. But it's not really all about that. It is about professional organization, in that you're going to always give us lots of takeaways, lots of tips, but more than that, we wanted to talk about where we are in life right now.
Speaker 2:Exactly. We cannot wait to share all our experiences about everyday life and being over 40 and the great things about it and the not so great things about it and you just said over 40, but we are both over 50.
Speaker 1:I'm in my now. I'm on the down slope because I turned 56 and you got a little bit out.
Speaker 2:Just turned 60 last week.
Speaker 1:So, even if you are, let's say, just turning 40, or you might even be in your 30s, don't shout away, because you might hear some things that might scare you, but at the same time, our biggest mission, I guess you would say, is to let you know that you can let it go and don't look back. Why should you carry now into your 50s, into your 60s, baggage that we only recently learned?
Speaker 2:you don't even need to hold on to yes, and that is the thing about getting older. Every decade, you learn so much, and so I'm excited to share everything I've learned from my 50s to my 60s, all the way back to when I was an empty nester or had a colicky baby, I mean. There's just so many ways you can reach out to people and let them know. This, too, shall pass.
Speaker 1:And we are coming from some different perspectives. Let's start out with what will be an opportunity for you to pick up some organizing tips but at the same time learn about how Christine and I met. I was hosting a daytime midday local TV show and we wanted an organizer. A friend gave me Christine of Neatly Design, all of her information. We chatted and decided you would come over and organize my closet. So I know that's been several years, so you may not have a clear picture of what you saw when you got there.
Speaker 2:Oh, I remember I remember.
Speaker 1:So let's talk about it, okay. So my closet was a mess, just a mess, and I had a real stress feeling every time I walked into it.
Speaker 2:Well, the first thing I remember is you're so busy all the time. That's one thing I admire, because you're always on the go. You always have things going on, places to be, people to see, and it kind of reflected that you had a rolling rack in your bedroom. You had. Just there was no rhyme or really reason to anything. And that's my job. I go in and I try to calm the space and make it work for the lifestyle each person has.
Speaker 1:So there are a couple of things that stood out to me, and this is something that you tell everybody. No matter what the space is, be it a junk drawer or a closet, you got to take everything out.
Speaker 2:If you don't take every single thing out of your closet, a drawer, a closet, a pantry, you're just moving stuff around and you're never going to be happy with the end result. So I am known as the purge professional locally here, because I am really passionate about purging, and so that's what we did. We purged.
Speaker 1:So we took everything out. Nothing got to go back in unless I really intended to use it. And one thing you do to maintain that I hope I'm not skipping ahead too far, but I love this and everybody listening can employ this immediately is you ask your clients to keep a bag in their closet.
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 1:And when you take something off of a hanger and you put it on and then you decide you're not wearing it that day, what are we supposed to do?
Speaker 2:Well, I personally also keep a bag in my closet because when you put something on and you look in the mirror and you say, oh my God, what was I thinking? I hate this color on me or I look weird in this, it's not fitting me right, it needs it's. I bought it at a certain time in my life when I was at a different place. Take it off, put it in a bag and donate or consign it. Do not hang it back up in your closet. It just. Every time you walk in your closet you look at it and it brings back memories of a time or an event that you just didn't feel your best.
Speaker 1:Obviously, if you put it on and take it back off, you picked it to put on because it was appropriate for you the occasion. You took it back off because it's not you anymore.
Speaker 2:And that happens all the time. I organize a lot of women's closets and I started to see a theme and a pattern that people would feel bad about themselves when they say, oh, I can't wear that anymore or that doesn't fit me anymore, oh God, my legs used to be so great and now I wouldn't be, you know. But they won't let it go because it's emotional. And so my job is to go in and do the Carrie Bradshaw effect, I call it, where I sit on the ground and they try things on and we do the thumbs up, the thumbs down and even have a maybe pile. But my job is to go in and have women get their groove back, have them buy clothes that fit them for the time of life they are in now, not something 10 years ago or when they were in their 20s and they're now in their 40s. You need to to have a closet that speaks to who you are right now.
Speaker 1:Christine, what about the things that you hold on to because there could eventually possibly be an occasion where you could wear it? Don't you agree, though, that sometimes the fun is actually shopping for something specific to that occasion? Or do we have to hold on to all of these things that maybe we'll never wear again, like a floor length gown, or I mean? I guess there are sometimes where you do need to hold on to them because they're very expensive, but don't you think we sometimes tell ourselves that we will wear it again, even if we won't?
Speaker 2:You know, like, for instance, my daughter just got married, I will never wear that dress again. It wasn't the most beautiful dress, it was amazing. I just would never wear it again. It was sparkly and sequinny and that's just not my life now. So I'm going to consign it, I'm not going to keep it and have it take up space, and that's what I tell people all the time. I'll say to someone oh, this is a beautiful gown. You know when's the last time you wore it? Oh, to my son's wedding, when'd your son get married 22 years ago? And I'll say, have you worn it since? And she'll say, no, I would never wear it. I don't even fit into that anymore. So people do have emotional clothing clutter and it's not just about sentimental items. There are emotional clothing and sometimes you need a professional to help you get rid of items like that.
Speaker 1:And if a professional isn't in your future, then maybe a very honest bestie A very honest bestie, friend, but never a relative.
Speaker 2:because whenever you bring the relatives in it's like well, aunt Margaret gave that to you. How could you get rid of that? It's an heirloom, how could you do it? Everybody has their opinions and it's fine if it's a friend who's not attached to things or memories or relatives. But when you get like the mom, the grandma, the aunt, the cousin, you know you're bringing in like the whole family.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes, yes, exactly. Let's touch on one more part of the closet, clean out, then we're gonna put a little pain in that and come back to it at the end Hangers.
Speaker 2:Well, I can tell you that is one thing I always recommend, because there is nothing more calming and soothing than matching hangers. Also, when you have broken hangers, different color hangers, big thick wood hangers, you're not utilizing the space. Thin, slimline hangers, really, honestly, do make a huge difference, and all the same color. You walk in, you look at it, everything looks uniformed and it just makes you sigh a sense of relief.
Speaker 1:And the really. You said slim. So those flat ones, yes, they don't have to be very expensive. I see them at Marshall's, I see them at Target, I see them at Ross, I see them every place you can buy Costco and Amazon.
Speaker 2:Two boxes, which is 100 hangers, for $39. I mean, it's the least expensive, least time consuming thing you can do to make a dramatic change in a closet.
Speaker 1:And if you're our age you'll completely understand no wire hangers, ever Hangers, exactly. All right, we're gonna put a pin in that, because there was one change that Christine had me make to our closet that I thought she was bananas, like totally bonkers. It made the hugest difference. You may or may not have this situation in your household in a room. You're not gonna believe it. So please, please, if for no other reason than this one gigantic takeaway, stay with us. But let's talk about the big events plural that have happened for you. You had a birthday and you had some good news, so let's talk about that birthday. Big one, huh yeah, the big 6-0 last week. Can't believe it because you, first of all, you don't look 60.
Speaker 2:Well, thank you.
Speaker 1:Thank you Also, you don't act. 60, whatever that means. How do you feel? Can you tell? Do you feel it?
Speaker 2:You know how you the first thing I noticed was a few months before I turned 60, we were out and someone said, oh, she's gonna be 60 in August and someone said, no way, there's no way, I can't believe you're gonna be 60, like it was a disease. And it was the first time I thought, wow, I think the alternative is not so good. You're right, but you know, for some reason and I don't know if you'll feel this way when I turned 50, it was shocking. I have to say, that was a hard one for me. 60, I mean even leading up to it. Maybe it's because of COVID.
Speaker 2:The past couple of years I've just been in more of a grateful kind of mode where you know life throws you curve balls and you just pick yourself up, you dust yourself off and you keep going. So I actually was really looking forward to this birthday and it just was an amazing day and everything went great. And my daughter, who came home to surprise me, is having her first baby. So I'm going to be a grandma. So what more could I ask for?
Speaker 1:I wonder if the comfort you're feeling from turning 60 has to do also, though, where your daughters are in their lives, because I think there is a part where we shift in our brain Like I'm not just me, I mean when they're little, of course they are your focus and you're like I'm so and so is mom, and now you kind of are viewing yourself as to be where I am. I have to be 60 or I have to be of the age of somebody who could be a grandmother, and I wouldn't want to be any other age.
Speaker 2:Yes, and definitely especially recently. I think the end goal for all of us moms is we just want to see our kids happy, and when they're happy, we're happy. And I think just right now it's just all kind of unfolded into this big past couple years wedding baby. It just has been really really an amazing couple years and although we've all been dealing with COVID, I just feel that sometimes things really do happen for a reason.
Speaker 1:I agree with you completely. I want to go back to something you said about when people look at you and they say 60, like Cryptkeeper 60, but also it's such a catch 22 because at the same time, I want to make sure they're going to act shocked, Even if you aren't shocked if I tell you I'm 56, please do us all a favor and act shocked.
Speaker 2:I have to say you know what? You're right, because there will be a day when you'll say, oh, I'm 65 and people won't say anything.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's right.
Speaker 2:So you know, you do have to just kind of be at a place and I have to admit this took me a long time where you're just comfortable in your own skin. It took me a really long time for that and that's why I think I'm at peace at 60, because you know, when you're raising kids and you're in your 20s and you're in your 30s, it's just such a different. You're learning, you're learning everything and by the time you get to your 60s you know what's important. You know, you know what's not important.
Speaker 1:And that's the part about letting it go and not looking back with us in our family. I'm the butt of a lot of jokes. I mean I think I lend myself to that, just the way. I kind of put everything out there on a regular basis. And my son asked me once this is the funniest question, but he said when was it you think you peaked? Oh, my, like, what makes you think I'm not in the process of peaking right now? I mean, I don't know when did I peak? And if you think about your life like that and you think that there was a moment you peaked and everything is downhill from there, you are never going to feel happy again.
Speaker 2:I really agree, I totally agree with that.
Speaker 1:And also how dare he? But that's a whole other thing. But that's a whole other thing. But for me, like I am a runner and I participate very often in these local, sometimes out of town, but these running events and it's broken up when it comes time to awards and things like that and to age groups, and I used to say I don't, and I also don't care that much about being the fastest one. But if I were to care about that, I would say I don't need to be the fastest one, but I want to win my age group or I want to show up in my age group. So I kind of feel like that has helped me a lot in life to look around and not try to compare myself. There's a reason why in races you are compared only to people within about a five year span of yourself, and that's because we have seasons.
Speaker 2:Yep, I exactly, and you'll notice when you get to 60, all of a sudden, when you go to the doctor's office or you're filling out a form, it's just 60 plus they give up. I mean after that, yeah, I mean, which that is shocking in itself. You know, when you're in your forties it's like 40 to 45, it'll say and check the box, but it's 60. It's 60. That's it. So I just think, also in this world that we live in now, everyone's like 60 is the new 50, you know, but really I don't know about that.
Speaker 2:I'm kind of on the fence on that. I feel like 60 is 60, I guess you know because I'm there.
Speaker 1:This is one of my favorite things you said. You said what's going on with my knees. Why are they wrinkled? And why is that? Is it because our skin, kind of like, loses a little bit of elastic and you, ladies listening, in your 40, you're starting to notice it too, so don't kid yourself, yeah.
Speaker 2:Well, I have to tell you, that was the very first thing I noticed. I looked down because I wear a lot of dresses. We live in Florida, it's hot here, yeah, and I'm like, oh my God what happened?
Speaker 1:Why are they all wrinkly? They look great, by the way.
Speaker 2:Well, thank you, but that was the first thing I noticed.
Speaker 1:I've noticed it on me All of a sudden, things that were tighter aren't so tight.
Speaker 2:Yes, I mean, and it just gradually keeps happening on all parts of your body, Like I noticed it on my earlobes. I'm like when did my earlobes get wrinkles in them? It's weird stuff. You start to notice but you ignore it because you're like, okay, well, it's another wrinkle.
Speaker 1:Life presents itself in unusual ways. We had a story it's been very hot here in Florida and so a lot of beach time and we were talking about bathing suits you and I and I said I wonder if I should make a rule in my life that if my estrogen patch shows through my bikini it's too skimpy. And I noticed that the other day I was like putting on my bathing suit and my husband said what's that? I'm like that's the residue from an estrogen patch. He's like oh, that is so sexy, that is hot. So I mean we have different things that we come up against and you let it go. You make it a joke. You find people around you. You guys that are 40 should totally hang out with us. We will make you feel so young. Absolutely, you are just. I mean it's nice to you're sitting at the kids table if you're listening to this and you're 40. Congratulations.
Speaker 2:Yes, I feel it. I mean, when someone said oh, I thought you looked 40. I'm like 40 seems like a lifetime ago.
Speaker 1:I mean.
Speaker 2:I honestly, I mean, I can't even really remember my early 40s. So it really goes fast. So enjoy each phase of life, because it just flies by.
Speaker 1:And that's the kind of thing we will talk about regularly. However, I will say you will never leave here without some pretty solid organizational tips. So let's get back to the closet. Let's, let's review. Shall we? Yes, so we've taken everything out. Nothing is coming back in, unless it's a keeper. We have changed out all the hangers, but yet I'm still having issues because I can't get to my belts, which are behind the door, which are there are all these things that are happening in the closet because of a simple thing with the Architectural layout. So what did you tell me to do?
Speaker 2:So I told you to take off the door and the reason why I said that is because a lot of people their closets are in their own private bedrooms. It's not like people are hanging out in your bedroom and the way your closet was situated was the nice size closet, but every time you open the door you couldn't see what was behind the closet door.
Speaker 2:And so we. You weren't using a lot of the space, and so once you took the door off, we were able to use the vertical space that used to be behind the door, and it just opened up a Whole lot of area that was being covered by a door, and you never used the door. You didn't really need the door, you never shut the door, and those are the reasons it's more practical to take the door off. You can have someone come in and patch where the hinges are if you want to make it look absolutely Back to normal, but it's just so important to really have an outside opinion. You look at your closet every day.
Speaker 1:I am a fresh, new set of eyes looking at your space and I can see what is not being used and what you saw was a door opening in covering everything that was hanging in that part of the closet and Creating an area that I couldn't use even maybe hang up hooks for a belt or anything like that. I have seen you in action, chris, picking up some of the absolute Most Intricate details. So Christine did a pantry recently. We're not gonna get into pantries right now, we're on closets, but I just want to kind of explain a little bit about this.
Speaker 1:The aesthetic is very important to you, painting the wall inside. You have had me when we did a storage closet. You wanted us to go in and paint the walls of a closet. Nobody sees these, but what it was before you saw it was there was some drywall up and your suggestion was you can't ever get up comfortable, neat feeling when you're opening that door With the, with the walls being kind of mishmash and well, there's nothing that makes a Space look brand new like a fresh coat of white paint, nothing, I mean.
Speaker 2:I have suggested this for pantries that were yellow before, and every time a client says, oh my god, it looks like I have a new, this, a new closet, a new pantry, a new linen closet. Something so simple that people don't think about is just Painting something white and giving it a fresh coat of white paint and you think, well, it's behind a closed door, why would I even trouble myself to do that?
Speaker 1:But I'm here to tell you, when you do these little things, it really is life changing. Is that an overstatement? I don't necessarily think it is. I think, if you can open your linen closet and not Not feel ashamed of yourself which I can't do that in every closet in my house right now not because you didn't help me, you did. But over the next several weeks and months, I would love for us to talk not only about getting organized but staying.
Speaker 2:Yeah, well, that's. That's the one. One question I'm asked over. Any question is Okay, I'm organized, but how do I stay organized?
Speaker 1:So that is a very popular question, I mean I want to delve into the psychology behind why and maybe we'll have some guests on that can help us with this why do people like me Not put everything back where it started? Why do we lose things? Why can't I have the same pair of glasses for more than six months? There has to be a psychological reason why someone like you Can keep things not only neat for yourself, but can look at somebody else's situation and quickly identify where changes need to be made.
Speaker 2:Well, usually it's a system and that's the problem. There is no system in place to stay organized. So that's a whole nother topic on on staying organized. But it's always because there is no system in place. And if you have a family and you have kids, a husband, you have to have a system so everybody follows the system, or else You're gonna have it organized for a day and then the kids are gonna get in there and the husbands are gonna get in there and it's gonna be a mess because there's just no rhyme or reason to anything.
Speaker 1:I wish I could grab you by the hand and pull you into a time machine from when back to when my kids were little, so we could instruct everybody how to do things like that. So this is where we're at right now. We're gonna give you a couple of homework assignments, if you don't mind. The first one is if you have a need to do something with your closet Remember the things, the bag, the hangers, the taking everything out, deciding if you need to paint your walls, deciding if you need to take doors off. The second thing is if you will and we're gonna give you all the information to reach out to us If you want to send us a photo of a space, we will do our best to paint a clear picture of what your current situation is and what Christine would recommend you do. We would be happy to do that right, absolutely.
Speaker 2:I would love it and just kind of yeah, one a week. And you know, you can look on our Instagram or Facebook and we will show the photo so people could see what the photo looks like, and then we will give you our, my recommendations, and I think it it'll be fun. I think it'll be fun.
Speaker 1:I think it will be informative. The uh, the other piece of the homework. So we gave you two so far. One was to do your closet if you need to do it, and we're going to meet back next week and talk about that. The other one is to send us a picture if you like. Obviously, we can't get to every picture, but we're going to choose one a week. And then the third thing is all the things you do to make a podcast successful, like subscribe. Tell your friends If you are finding this helpful. We would truly appreciate your support in that way.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. I mean, that's where we're going to get all our feedback and also keep getting great topics to talk about.
Speaker 1:And we're going to now, like I mentioned, give you all the who, what, when, why is that? How to reach us? Because, in complete candidness, we didn't have all of those button down at this recording, so we're going to do what they call, in the biz, a tag, and tell you everything you need to know to reach us, follow us like a subscribe to us, send us a photo, do this, do that, do the other. In the meantime, though, let it go.
Speaker 2:And don't look back.
Speaker 1:And podcast editors know we have a website and we were able to secure a clever name. It's the name of our podcast, uncluttered and unfilteredcom. That is the website where you're going to be able to access ways to contact us, ways to actually submit a photo and so much more. So visit it now Uncluttered and unfilteredcom.