The Hidden Psychology of Clutter with Professional Organizer Marnie Mogerman

We all have that drawer. That closet. That pile of clothes we've been meaning to donate for two years.

This week, I'm joined by professional organizer and decluttering expert Marnie from Determined to Declutter for an honest conversation about why letting go of our stuff is so difficult and what actually works when it's time to reclaim your space.

Whether you're tackling one messy closet or your entire house, this episode is full of practical advice, relatable moments, and a reminder that getting organized doesn't have to be overwhelming.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:09

Hello, hello, hello, and welcome back to the Taylor Taylor Taylor Show, the show where we say things three times until they make sense. But today is not a typical episode of the Taylor Taylor Taylor show because I have someone who is very educated in decluttering with me today. And I know you're all thinking, Taylor, you need it. We've seen your closet, we've seen your house, we've seen how much shit you collect just over the years. You need this as much as I need it, though, little gremlins. I have Marnie here from Determined to Declutter.

SPEAKER_01 0:40

Hello. Hi, Taylor. So happy to be here. Thank you so much for bringing me on board today. Thank you so much for being willing and able to come on this podcast.

SPEAKER_00 0:50

Absolutely. I'm a self-proclaimed hoarder. I don't throw anything away because I'm obsessed with things. Like I love little trinkets and stuff like that. So I'm so excited to have you here today. Because I'm sure I'm not the first person that has said that to you. Of course. Yeah. I hear that a lot. You're like, I hear it every single day, actually. So I want to start at the very beginning. Yes. How did this come to fruition?

SPEAKER_01 1:13

This came to fruition in October of 2020. Height of COVID. Everybody was home. Everybody was out trying to get their toilet paper. You know, I like and Amazon, you know, packages were going nuts, orders online. Basically, um everybody um was home. And I I was working in an office situation. Okay. My daughter was home for school. I couldn't really be in office anymore. And I always had a passion for just cluttering and organizing. And I thought, wow, maybe now is the time for me to kind of get started and into it. And um I started doing it virtually. That's so interesting. Yes. So I started doing it virtually online, um, Zoom calls, FaceTimes, phone calls, um, working with people across the country because everything was virtual.

SPEAKER_00 2:04

Yeah. So this is the era of like Marie Kondo was like getting really popular, right? Yes. But I know myself, and I I turned on an episode and I looked to my good friend Marie, and no, she didn't help me. She didn't help me. She just made me want more things. I was like, I like all your stuff.

SPEAKER_01 2:23

I feel like there is a no one size fits all for decluttering and organizing. I feel like when I go to a client, everything is specialized and catered to what's best for them. Right. Um, I really get in there, I dig deep and kind of see what their vision is. Um, are they looking to, you know, maybe keep a collection of something? Okay, but you know, a pair it down, maybe keep a box of your favorites from that collection or a tote. Um, I'm I deal with a lot of people who are in um grief, you know, dealing with a loved one passing, same type of thing. I I I utilize that one box or one tote really just to have them focus on what they want to keep. Yeah. I'm really into donating, reselling, I help with that. Um, obviously trashing, um, you know, giving away. I mean, there's so many places out there and people out there who knew need things.

SPEAKER_00 3:21

1000%. So when we're talking about decluttering in the way of we're getting things out of the way. Yes like they're leaving the four walls of your house. Yes. I've done next door, I've done Facebook Marketplace. Yes. Um, trying to think what other service I've done Craigslist, like you name it. I've put stuff out there. Is there a certain virtual way to sell things that you prefer?

SPEAKER_01 3:45

There is. Okay, tell me. So what I do is I go into like, let's say you're going in Facebook. There's that search bar up top. Actually describe, like, you know, in detail what the item is. Okay. And then try to pinpoint an area. So a town, a city, um, next door, I like because it's within 30 miles where you can kind of um cater to that audience. So I really um I I try to get it as detailed as possible and look at you know, the the city or the town.

SPEAKER_00 4:17

Interesting. So you really hyperlocate to get the most like bang for your bucks. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 4:23

Interesting. I mean, from this, I've gotten so many people now that I work with as far as auction houses, people I sell to, people, um, I, you know, my go-to people. Um, you know, I do a lot of garage sales, help out with estate sales, um, storage units. So I'm kind of like all over the place. And I've kind of gotten a whole connection, a whole um directory of people, right? Kind of like that I can go through and say, hey, I have a client with this, I have a client with that, you know, this is what we're looking for, price range, that kind of thing.

SPEAKER_00 4:58

So not only are you a decluttering master, but you have a full network of people that help you with this and that you can recommend your future clients too.

SPEAKER_01 5:08

Another thing I recommend I do a lot for people is because some people really have a hard time partying with things. So I'll actually take them out of the house for them.

SPEAKER_00 5:17

Wow. So you do you make that step for them so they're not like I can't watch my favorite bird statue leave. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 5:24

Yes. Yes, or the bags will just kind of stay in the same room or by the door and they'll never leave. Yeah. And it's like you're not getting anywhere with it. So you know, I'll take that extra step and it's a hand-holding process, but at the end of the day, it gets the job done.

SPEAKER_00 5:38

I think we can all relate to that too, because I've been in the situation before, like donating clothes, and I'll put a trash bag of my clothes in the back of my car thinking I'm gonna bring this to Goodwill or the Salvation Army, and then it's there two years later. Yeah. And like, what's happening? Right, right. Would you consider yourself a thrifter?

SPEAKER_01 5:56

I'm all about thrifting. Yeah. I'm all about repurposing. Yeah. Um, I always recommend to my clients because a lot of times people want to like go out and buy storage containers and bins and ice. So we're gonna talk about that. And I just say, wait, don't do it. Repurpose. I'm a big into repurposing things. Why go out and spend the extra money when you might have something functional at home that you can use?

SPEAKER_00 6:19

That's true. On the storage unit stuck, yes. It is very popular online nowadays to buy a storage unit and catalog the whole experience via your social media and clean out the storage unit and then sell the things in the unit. Have you encountered anybody in your life yet that's done that or has been like, hey Marnie, I bought a storage unit and now I'm like kind of drowning?

SPEAKER_01 6:44

Um, they're existing units that people basically want to stop paying for. They might be relocating, you know. Um, I've I've worked with like military families who are, you know, have it, they're moving, they need to, you know, clean it out, that kind of thing. That kind of thing. So yeah. Is that difficult? What's difficult is uh people uh coming to the unit. I try to have people kind of uh pick a different meeting spot because a lot of units don't want pe like random people coming in. Oh, that's a good point. Yes. Yes. So it's it's it's a little bit, you know, of a a little a little dicey.

SPEAKER_00 7:24

We have to put safety first to. Yes, all of those things. What is your actually let me rephrase that? What do you think is has been your most intriguing project that you've encountered? You don't have to narrow it down to one, but if you had to think the one at the top of your mind, what has been most intriguing for you?

SPEAKER_01 7:41

I really don't have just one. The thing I love about what I do is every job is different. I'm dealing with different personalities, different people. Um, you know, it could be a move in, it could be a move out, it could be packing, unpacking, it could be staging a house, it could be staging a rental, it could be um, you know, uh staging a closet, um, you know, a l a room. Just yeah. It it really varies, which is what I love. Tell me uh from your experience. Do you love staging? Love staging. Yeah. I'm a big believer though, less is best. Oh, okay. Tell me more about that. So um I always tell people um neutral walls, don't do a crazy color on the walls. Okay. Keep it light and bright. Okay. People want to walk in, they want to feel like they're in a big room. They don't want to feel like it's claustrophobic, it's small, they can't get through. Less furniture, less tchotchkis, less, you know, decor. Um, keep the pictures on the walls to a minimum because everything will look bigger and brighter. Interesting. Yes, big believer of that. I mean, you want it to look like, yes, lived in, like somebody lives there so you can get an idea, but your floor plan's not necessarily their floor plan. But I I feel like getting the basics of you know what it would look like, but being able to walk in and kind of point where what where your items are gonna go.

SPEAKER_00 9:09

Incredible. Is it true that you should not have family photos in your house?

SPEAKER_01 9:13

Absolutely. Really? Absolutely. I have a lot of houses I stage and that go on the market. I can tell you every time that is a big thing I tell people not to do and they don't do it. Wow. Yes. And art, you know, a lot of people have different different visions of what they like. Some people like medieval things, some people like traditional, some people like, you know, um modern. It varies. But I just tell people keep it to a minimum and keep it very neutral.

SPEAKER_00 9:42

Wow. Okay. Wallpaper. No. She said no wallpaper. No wallpaper.

SPEAKER_01 9:49

No. Wow. No. Okay, tell me why. I've seen houses um not get sold for the reason being that people walk in and and they're looking at it like a hot pink wall. I can't live here. What am I gonna do with that? But on the flip side, even though I'm saying keeping it neutral, if somebody really wants to, they can invest into it and fix it.

unknown 10:13

True.

SPEAKER_00 10:14

I know that you're saying that, I'm a big house hunters fan. Like I do have on TLC now and then. And the amount of couples that tour houses and they're like, yeah, no, those red walls. And I'm like, I mean, you you can paint.

SPEAKER_01 10:26

A quick change. A lot of people want to walk in and just have a turnkey home. Yeah. That would be great if it was like that. But you know what? If you have to fix some things, you I definitely have to budget for that and you have to consider that.

SPEAKER_00 10:39

What is your favorite store to shop if you are staging a home? Like, where's the first place you go?

SPEAKER_01 10:44

I am a big Marshall's TJ Maxx Home Goods. Love those places.

SPEAKER_00 10:49

Okay, Marshall's TJ Maxx Home Goods, call our girl Marnie. She would love a sponsorship. For sure. So best prices you think they're out of any prices. Best variety.

SPEAKER_01 11:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:01

Absolutely. Absolutely. Do you get anxiety when you walk into a friend's house or a family member's house and it's cluttered and you're like, we gotta take a couple deep breaths?

SPEAKER_01 11:10

Um, I look around. I I I I definitely look around and you know, uh, I would never say anything. Right, you know, but um I always think, oh, what I could do with this house. You know?

SPEAKER_00 11:23

Oh my god, of course. Or this room.

SPEAKER_01 11:26

Do you ever have friends or family members ask you? Like, hey, continue with this? Yeah. I have. And I have helped family and friends, you know, with staging and packing and um, you know, the whole process. So do you prefer to work with people you don't know? I do. Yeah. It's so much easier. Right. So much easier. Why is it easier? I think it's easier because you're not having that personal connection. Somebody might get offended. Somebody might might take something the wrong way. Um, even with clients though, I mean, I I really keep it, you know, uh kind and you know, nice. Like you don't want to put anybody down, you don't want to make anybody feel bad. You know, obviously there's an issue, it needs to be handled. Um, but I never want to make anybody feel, you know, bad about the way their house looks or a room looks or whatever. I mean, there's a solution to every problem.

SPEAKER_00 12:24

Yeah, like you kind of what you said in the beginning of the episode, like there is that emotional connection with a lot of things, and you're not there to be like the emotional, like brain cloud. Like, you want to help. And you honestly, you seem more like a best friend. Like that you would call, because you know, once you reach a certain age, I've noticed this myself. Like, after 25, no one wants to help you move. Nobody wants to help you clean stuff out. They'll say they will, and then no one will show up.

SPEAKER_01 12:50

It's on you.

SPEAKER_00 12:51

It's on you.

SPEAKER_01 12:52

So you're kind of like the best friend that people have to call when they're moving, or a lot of people will call me and they don't want their spouse in the house, their kids, their pets. It's just me and the person because they want to just go at it and not have any distractions. I love that. That's a big thing, yeah. And honestly, it gets so much more done that way.

SPEAKER_00 13:14

Do you ever have a client that is like, all right, let's crack a bottle of wine and just like hang out and like declutter? Do you ever have like kind of like girls' nights?

SPEAKER_01 13:21

No, I don't. No, I don't. I mean, you know, that would be awesome, but I'm really there to just make a difference. That's awesome. And I feel like if I have wine, I'd fall asleep.

SPEAKER_00 13:30

So okay, that's fair. That's fair. It's fair. Now, would you be against if someone had like a girls' night and the girls' night was, hey, we're all cleaning out my house, or we're all cleaning out my closet, everybody's helping, but Marnie's the leader. We're following our lead.

SPEAKER_01 13:45

Yeah. Love that idea. Never done it. Would be totally down for it.

SPEAKER_00 13:49

I feel like you would be the perfect person to do that. I love that. Do you get a lot of crazy stories? Like, do people tell you a lot of just tea? I do. I do. A lot of stories, a lot of, you know, crazy, crazy things. Your daughter is so lucky. Like dinner table conversation of like something cool that your mom does. Like, that's awesome. Are you looking for love this summer? Have you been watching Love Island and you're just searching for your Corbin or your Kenzie? Or maybe you don't know any of these names because you've never watched the show before. That's okay. If you're looking for love, you're gonna wanna find it on Altermeet. Altermeet is a brand new dating platform that is safe for women. Everybody on this app is ID verified, which means everyone looks like their photos. You're not gonna show up to your local basketball game, to your local dive bar, to your local restaurant, searching around, looking, going, is that Chad? Is that Angelina? Uh no, no, they don't really look like their photos. Altermeet takes all of that guesswork out of it for you because everybody's ID verified. You know that the person is going to look like their photos, and you're not matched with people based on the way that they look. Shocker, I know. A dating app that doesn't match you based on the swipe culture. No, it matches you based on your interests, your likes, your dislikes, your career goals. Alter Meet. They launch July 4th, and you want to be on that wait list before they go live. Link is below. Now, when you were your daughter's age, what did you want to be when you grew up?

SPEAKER_01 15:24

I wanted to be a teacher for a really long time. Oh my gosh. And it did not work out that way. Then I wanted to go into fashion. I did go to fashion school for a while. Okay, where'd you go to fashion school? In Chicago. Oh, okay. Um, and um, I loved it. And I really feel like I'm using a lot of what I learned there in what I'm doing now. It was for fashion merchandising. You know, I took classes on all kinds of, you know, fashion materials, you know, the business end of it. Yeah. Staging. So it's yeah, it's been a big help.

SPEAKER_00 15:57

The former QVC employee in me is like, oh my god, fashion merchandising. Yes, I'm back, baby. Yes. Yeah. The amount of time and dedication. I worked in corporate uh marketing and communication. So I was in a different realm of the fashion girlies, but they would all walk out of the showroom and look like they just did the most intense workout because it was staging this, it was moving, and they were all like little women. Like just a lot of work.

SPEAKER_01 16:24

It's a lot of work. Yeah, it's a lot of reward. I bet. Yes, I know. I am exhausted, especially if I have one client after another. Yeah, it's you know, I mean, I'll book up some few people and it's I'm gonna be able to do it. Oh my god, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 16:39

Do you ever get home and you're like, oh my god, my house is a mess? And I I just cleaned all these other people's houses, and my now my house is a mess.

SPEAKER_01 16:46

I do. I do.

SPEAKER_00 16:47

I thought you were gonna have turns a play. Yeah. Oh my gosh. So, what's your favorite service to do if you had to pick a favorite? My favorite thing to do was a closet. Ooh.

SPEAKER_01 17:06

Kids, adults, doesn't matter. I love a closet. It's like a it's like a play area for me. I absolutely love it.

SPEAKER_00 17:14

I'm going to ask for myself. I was gonna say my listeners, but this is purely a me question. So my husband's very into the stock market, right? He loves that. I tell him my stock market is designer bags because they always appreciate and value for the most part. How many designer bags does one need? Like how many would you? You're walking into someone's house, they have a ton, how many would you be like, okay, well, let's keep this many X. A handful.

SPEAKER_01 17:40

A handful? A handful. I'm a big minimalist. So if To me, I'd say five up to ten. This is why. Marnie, I love you. What? What? I a lot of people like to do like different colors and things like that. I like to keep a kind of basic. Browns, blacks, whites, um, off white, I think a silver, gold, you know, uh, six or seven right there. Okay, done. Wow. Don't get funky with the colors. Yeah. Everything goes in and out with different seasons. That's so true. Um, and I think you just stick to a basic and you're good to go. And maybe even like switch it up, get like a dress bag, a cross body, a tote, uh shoulder bag, you know, but keep it to a 10 limit max.

SPEAKER_00 18:32

Okay. Yeah. I might be able to work with that. I might. I have a couple funky colored bags where I'm like, I but they they are also harder to sell. I'm noticing. Yeah. Very, very much. I met a woman in the parking lot of Whole Foods a couple weeks ago and she looked at this bag, the Chanel flat bag for 20 minutes in her car. It was raining. I was in my car, she was in her car. And then she comes back out and hands me the bag. She goes, There's mold in it. I said, No, there's no, there's not. Like, I know there's not mold in the bag. I'm like, what were you doing for 20 minutes in your car? Because I couldn't see because it was raining. But like having someone like you would have been way better, like helping me clean out these sorts of things. I'm the same way about like shoes.

unknown 19:09

Girl.

SPEAKER_01 19:10

You know. What's your favorite shoe? Um, I like I love a good sneaker.

SPEAKER_00 19:14

Uh, me too. Girl, yes, nice.

SPEAKER_01 19:17

I mean, um, uh, yeah, you know what? I'm on my feet so much. Yeah, I have to be comfortable. Totally. Um, I mean, yeah, I'll wear heels on a night out with my husband, but um generally sneakers.

SPEAKER_00 19:30

Do you think that when you started this in 2020, did you automatically get the same feeling that you got when you were in fashion school? Like, I'm doing what I was meant to do. Like this is special.

SPEAKER_01 19:41

I did.

SPEAKER_00 19:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 19:42

Yes. I never I really didn't know if it was gonna blow up to where it is now for me as far as the clientele. You know, um, I'm doing just so many things and so many different realms, working with so many different people. Um, another thing I'm doing on the weekends a lot is parties. I was gonna bring this up.

SPEAKER_00 20:02

Five coordinator. I love that you do this because uh there is nothing like this. And anyone that lives in the Delaware, uh Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland area, this whole tri-state place. If you are throwing a party and you need help, you don't have to call your mom anymore or your grandmom to come over and like help you do the dishes. That is part of what Marnie does. Like, tell my audience all about it. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 20:25

You know, it's kind of the same thing like staging a house. You're staging a party, you're setting it up, you know, from soup to nuts, um, you know, everything, um, decor, you know, cutlery, plates, napkins, cups, everything, anything they need. Um, their bar, their food, um, meal prepping, um, you know, just setting everything up, making it look pristine. It's the same way it really relates to me a lot, like staging a house. And then you have like an open house, you have your people coming in for the party and walking through and seeing how everything's looking.

SPEAKER_00 21:00

I love to throw a theme party. Like I love a theme. I feel like a lot of people of my generation are like obsessed with a theme, like every weekend or something. What's the most fun theme you've encountered with this party planning? Um, or maybe most unique if it's I really haven't.

SPEAKER_01 21:17

It they're pretty typical.

SPEAKER_00 21:19

Okay, that's good. I thought you were gonna say something out of the box when you paused.

SPEAKER_01 21:23

I was like, what? But I see a lot of people who um really get creative with food and drinks. Ooh, okay. And so many cool things.

SPEAKER_00 21:31

Have you seen the dirty soda resurgence? Yes. I'm obsessed with a dirty soda. There's a uh woman in Delaware actually, and she brings she has a coffee bar. It's called the Swirling Spoons. And so she'll show up different places at Booker with a coffee bar. And most recently, I said, You should do a dirty soda bar. She had no idea what dirty sodas were. Oh my gosh. Yes. And I was like, I just enlightened you to a whole new world. That's awesome. So do you uh help cook as well?

SPEAKER_01 22:00

Damn. Okay. Food prep, meal prep, setup, cleanup. I mean, I'll be there start to finish if somebody wants me to be. Sometimes I just go for the setup, sometimes I just go for the during the party. Got it. Making sure things are in line, vendors are in line. I've done like weddings for people at backyard weddings. Whoa.

SPEAKER_00 22:20

That sounds stressful. Okay, so you're a wedding coordinator at points.

SPEAKER_01 22:25

At points, yeah. Oh my goodness. The whole thing is making sure everything flows. Yeah. I'm a big detail person. I'm a big note taker. I like to make sure everything is, you know, set and, you know, teaser across dies, eyes are dotted, and just everything is flowing.

SPEAKER_00 22:43

And like just being in the same room with you for as long as we have, you have such a calming energy. Thank you that I can see why people want to collaborate with you and want to partner with you because you're not giving off nervousness. I give off nervousness when people meet me. I've been told that I am a little blonde ball of anxiety. And I say, you're not wrong. You're not wrong. But I love how easy breezy it feels like being around you. I feel like there's no theme or like conversation off limits. Would you? Here's like a wild question. Say someone needed help throwing a funeral. Would you do it?

unknown 23:19

Yeah. Wow.

SPEAKER_01 23:20

I'm not opposed to anything. Nothing's off the table.

SPEAKER_00 23:23

I'm obsessed with this. I love that. Yes. What well, in your expertise and how long that you've been doing this, have you noticed that there's one problem that a lot of people struggle with when it comes to either decluttering or just removing stuff from their homes?

SPEAKER_01 23:43

There is. A lot of people, you're gonna think this is probably funny, but a lot of people are very into color coordinating their closet. I do not suggest that, and here's why. My closet is color coordinated. No, okay, don't you? I I am all about functionality. Yes. So my thing is front and center, whatever's in season and whatever you mostly wear. So I'm a jeans, leggings, t-shirt kind of person. That's front and center. Okay. My dresses, my going out clothes, sides and back. Okay. Off season, sides and back, anything for the season that I'm mostly wearing front and center. And then you kind of like work your way back. Oh. Yeah. So like, you know, your winter clothes right now would be back, you know, on the sides, anything for the season up front and center. But I even make it even worse so with like what I'm currently, you know, wearing, like, you know, mostly in the front and center. Same thing with shoes. I was just gonna say, what about shoes? Same with shoes. Same thing. My boots are up high, or they're, you know, on the sides, I've got my sneakers front and center, my jellies, my, you know, heels I wear, like, you know, anything for this season.

SPEAKER_00 24:55

Okay. I'm learning. I'm learning. My listeners know that I have uh a full closet room. One of our bedrooms in our house is just a closet. And then even worse off, um, my I live 30 seconds away from my mom. My mom and I are best friends. I have a closet room at my mom's house that I bring all my clothes for the other season, and I put them there with the it's a problem. And I'm like, and like it's like my sister lives with my parents, and I'll be like, get out of my room, get out of my closet. She's like, girl, you don't even live here. Girl, this is not even in season clothes. You're not even gonna worry about this. But okay, so I need to, I think my first step would probably be uncolor coordinating things.

SPEAKER_01 25:38

Yeah, it looks pretty. Yeah, it looks adorable. And it's fun and it's cute. But you know what? At the end of the day, you want to be able to find things. I'm a big, like, I person, I'm a person. I want to get in, get what I need, and get out. Right. And I just want to make it easy peasy. What kind of hangers do you recommend? Love wood hangers. Love velvet hangers.

SPEAKER_00 25:59

I have velvet. What about the ones that have the clips for the pants? Yes. Okay. Those are great. They're good. Okay. Those are great.

SPEAKER_01 26:04

Some of them have multiples.

SPEAKER_00 26:06

I haven't got I haven't gotten there yet. Oh, yeah. I'm not that fancy. Yeah. But okay, felt or wooden hangers.

SPEAKER_01 26:12

Yeah. Yeah. Not a fan of the plastic. Not a fan. Okay. Understood. Um, the other thing is I really like the cubes you can hang up in your closet. Oh, okay, yeah. I actually do that in my daughter's closet.

unknown 26:25

Oh.

SPEAKER_01 26:26

So when you have limited space, it's a great way to kind of put a lot in in one space and, you know, keep it on the bar and just, you know, like, I don't know, they have them where they have, you know, two, three, four, however many cubes. But you hang it and you can put whatever you need, you know, t-shirts, pants, whatever, folds it in, especially if somebody doesn't have a dresser, a bureau. It makes it a lot easier.

SPEAKER_00 26:52

Do you ever recommend that people, some of your clients, bring in more storage space, or are you more let's cut things down? Both.

SPEAKER_01 27:01

Both? Okay. Um, all about bringing in more space if need be. It's really like on a case-to-case basis. Got it. Got it. You know, I have some people who want to minimally cut things down. So we just kind of it's like a puzzle trying to find that piece and try to figure out, okay, where can we possibly take from and move and and you know, figure out where we can put some more space?

SPEAKER_00 27:27

That makes sense. Yeah. I'm thinking I'm a big thrifter. Like I like an antique shop. I love to just look around. We know I love a Totchki. Um, but have you ever been going through a client's house or just, you know, meandering around and you see something and you're like, that's a first edition novel, or like that's something worth a lot of money. Are you ever in that situation?

SPEAKER_01 27:50

I mean, I get into that situation a lot when people are selling their houses and I'm helping them, you know, pack up or they want to do some sort of an estate sale or garage sale. Yeah. So a lot of research is involved.

SPEAKER_00 28:01

I'm sure. So I know a lot of friends that I have that are big thrifters, they're big Google Lens users. What do you use? I like Google Lens.

SPEAKER_01 28:09

Google Lens, okay. Um, I I really like to just, you know, get pictures from different angles. I do a lot of postings for people. So like I'll bark at them on Facebook or next door or Oh, you're doing all the posting too? I I do a lot of that for people too. Wow.

SPEAKER_00 28:25

Yeah.

unknown 28:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 28:26

That's a lot of responses in your message requests inbox on Facebook. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 28:31

All about the lighting, all about the angles, getting multiple pictures, yeah. Really being as detailed as possible in your description of item. Amazing.

SPEAKER_00 28:41

Yeah. Have you ever worked with an antique store to like do a clean out or I have not. I feel like there's a lot of antique stores in Chad Sport that could use you. Because I've seen the same stuff there for the past like four years. Yeah. Like we have to do an some inventory swap.

SPEAKER_01 28:56

And speaking of the same stuff in the store, I'm also a big believer in rotation.

SPEAKER_00 29:01

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 29:02

So like rotating things out, like you know, different seasons, different styles, different um, you know, just keep even with kids' toys, just rotating everything. Okay. Keeping it fresh.

SPEAKER_00 29:15

So with kids' toys, do you typically recommend that they stay in one corner of the family room in the basement? Or are you more lax of, oh, it's fine as long as it's kind of put away.

SPEAKER_01 29:28

One corner. One corner. One area. And then houses where people have multiple air playrooms. So they'll have multiple areas. I'm all about it as long as it's organized, but keeping that rotation so they don't get bored. Like I go into a lot of people's houses, they'll say, My kids aren't playing with X, Y, and Z. Change it out. And then put it back into the rotation later on. Are they playing with it? Are they not? Change that into the rotation a few times and really get a feel for it. If it's something that they're just not getting and they don't care for, it's gone. It's gone.

SPEAKER_00 30:02

Interesting. So uh most people take kindly to that, right? Like when you're like, okay, it's gone. Have you ever I mean I'm sure you've had people like get upset or cry and like disagree with something else say?

SPEAKER_01 30:15

I'm here to educate, I'm here to support. If you don't agree with what I say, that's completely fine. At the end of the day, it's your home, it's your stuff. Right. You have to make that call. I'm giving an opinion. I mean, yeah, you know, it's do what you want with it.

SPEAKER_00 30:28

I love that. Yeah. I'm gonna ask you just some fun personal questions to wrap up. What is your favorite song right now? Favorite song.

SPEAKER_01 30:36

Um, Loving Du Doa Lipa. Oof, I love it. Yes. Love Taylor. You gotta love Taylor Swift. Um, I don't think I have one favorite song, but I like them a lot.

SPEAKER_00 30:49

What was your first concert?

SPEAKER_01 30:50

First concert, um, Boys to Men. What? Yeah. That's a kick-ass first concert, Marnie. That's so cool. Okay, favorite movie. Favorite movie, can't hardly wait.

SPEAKER_00 31:01

Ooh, good favorite actress. Uh, Anne Hathaway. Have you seen Devil Wars Prada too? Not yet. Me neither. I hear it's so good. I hear it's great. I just rewatched the first one. Uh every time I'm like, I cannot believe that her boyfriend was so annoyed about the cupcake and his birthday. Ugh, it gets me it gets me just riled up thinking about it. Favorite place you've ever traveled? Paris.

SPEAKER_01 31:23

Me too. Nice. The most beautiful place ever. Where'd you get married? Uh got married um at the palace in Blackwood, New Jersey. Are you from Jersey? I am not. Where are you from? I'm from Fort Washington, Pennsylvania.

SPEAKER_00 31:36

Okay. One place that you would love to travel to. Ooh, that's a long plane ride, girl. We were talking about planes before this. Do you have TSA pre-check pre-check?

unknown 31:45

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 31:46

I'm the only one on earth that doesn't have TSA pre-check, I feel like. I'm just taking a poll just of everybody. Marnie, thank you so much for being here today. Thanks for having me. I really appreciate it. Would you mind telling all of my listeners out there how they can reach you, where they can find you to follow you, and where to keep up with Marnie and determined to declutter?

SPEAKER_01 32:06

Yeah. So um, I do have a business card, but um, phone number is actually on my shirt.

SPEAKER_00 32:16

215 287 3115. It's determined to declutter at gmail.com. Amazing. Thank you. Well, thank you so much for being here.

SPEAKER_01 32:26

Thank you.