Episode 375 – Ingrid’s Birthday Bonus – Home, Life and You

Today's episode is a very, very special one, because we are celebrating Ingrid's birthday. What better way to mark the occasion? But then by bringing together some of our brilliant friends who are also speaking at the home life and you live events, we asked each of them to share one top tip connected to their topic, the kind of everyday habit or mindset shift that can truly make a difference. Think of this as a little birthday gift from me Ingrid and our inspiring speaker friends to you, it's kind of a collection of wisdom in one joyful bonus episode you

Intro - you're listening to the declutter hub podcast bringing you tried and tested no nonsense tips and advice from the leading experts in decluttering and organizing your own Now here are your hosts Ingrid Jansen and Lesley Spellman.

Hello and welcome listeners. I'm Ingrid and I'm Lesley. If you're new to the declutter hub podcast, you're so welcome. What you'll find is that we try and find a fun factor in the serious business of decluttering. And if you've been here for a while, you know exactly what we mean. So thank you so much for listening.

Lesley - If you'd like to get involved in conversations relating to this podcast, it all takes place in our Facebook group. So come and join our lovely, warm, supportive community. To find the Facebook group, go to declutter hub, com, forward slash group to find out more, or you can search for the declutter hub community on Facebook. Well, well, well, Ingrid, here we are for a bonus episode to celebrate you being 52 years old. You're catching me up.

Ingrid - I know, oh, I can never Lesley. Lesley, but anyway, thank you. Thank you so much to everyone. And for doing this bonus episode, I feel very honored. And yes, it's my birthday today, I'll still be working, but that's okay. And yeah, it's a fun to have a bonus episode come out and with such good information as well.

Lesley - Yeah, exactly. So all the people that you're going to hear are speakers at home life, and you event from different walks of life. And I think home life and you live is what has replaced the clean, entirely Home Show. It was a different type of show. Last time, it was very focused on decluttering, organizing and cleaning, and this time, we've got more of a well being angle to it as well. So they brought other things in, which is absolutely fantastic, and honestly, some of the speakers that are there you will have heard on our podcast. Some of them are they're all, well, they're all incredible speakers. Marie Kondo is there as well, which is a real treat for so many people, because she's like, you know, everybody loves Marie Kondo, right, don't they? She's kind of one of the OGS of decluttering, so it'll be great to see her there too. So we're going to pop back at the end of this episode to give you all the details that you know, but in a nutshell, it's the 18th and 19th of October London. Excel tickets are still available. We are there speaking, we are there meeting our members, and we are there up for an award as well. So we'll see you in a moment.

Sian Pelleschi - First of all, I want to wish Ingrid a very happy birthday and very many happy returns. Hi, I'm Sian palershi. I'm owner of sorted decluttering and organizing and president of APDO, the Association of Professional declutterers and organizers. So when I'm working with clients, quite often, the conversation turns to this discussion on the need to do it all, this ownership that I have to do everything and I have to own everything in order to make sure it gets done. And really we need to start looking at the options of being able to delegate out so this is a conversation I have regularly about how we can delegate out tasks or something on your to do list that perhaps you're not so good at, or that you don't like to do, which enables you then to be able to focus on the things that really do matter and really are important. It also takes away that element of feeling of failure when you don't manage to get through the whole list. So delegating out to others, can really help with that, to alleviate this stress that we put on ourselves, to be able to do everything. An example of this could be cleaning. For instance, if you have the funds to be able to employ someone to come in and clean so that you don't have to and you can focus on other things, then fantastic. It will really help you sort of spur on and get things done equally. If you don't have the funds to utilize the people within your household already to be able to take on those tasks and become owners of that so that they take the responsibility as well as you to be able to share the needs within the household, I certainly found delegating out to my family, and certainly I. Items and things for my business really beneficial. For a long time, I made sure that everything was done by me, because I felt I had to do it all. But actually, once I started to delegate out to others, it really helped me to be able to focus and hone in on the things that really were important. So if you have a task list, or a list of things to do that is really long and you're really struggling to be able to get through it. Work out which of those items you can do yourself and that you want to do or that you can do, and which could be delegated out and give it a try. I can assure you, it will make life a lot easier.

Eve Kale - Happy Birthday Ingrid. I am Eve kale, and the tip that I wanted to share with everybody is that after a birthday or a big gifting occasion like Christmas, don't throw away all of the wrapping material straight away. If you haven't got time on the day, pop everything into a bin bag, put it to one side. And then when you've got 10 minutes to spare, then sort through all of the gift wrapping items and pop them into three piles. One things that you can keep and reuse for another occasion. Two things that aren't good enough to reuse but can be recycled. And three hopefully this is a really small pile things that have to pop be popped into the bin. So if you're not sure what can be recycled and what can't, one top tip is whether the paper has got a shine or a coating on it. So if it hasn't got a shine or a coating or glitter or that kind of thing, if it's a matte paper, it can probably be recycled or even popped into your compost bin. If you do the scrunch test, then you'll be able to tell if it springs back, then it probably has got a coating on it and it can't be recycled. But these days, lots of suppliers are Cottoning on to this, how we want to be more eco conscious. So do check whether your paper is recyclable before you put it in the bin. And my other top tip is to remove the tape before you recycle your paper so that it doesn't support the recycling process. If you want your paper to be recycled with tape on it, then choose paper tape instead of traditional seller tape. I hope these tips are helpful and Happy Birthday Ingrid.

Emma Gray - Hey, Ingrid, happy birthday. It's Emma gray grief and life coach here. So something that might surprise people, when I was widowed at just 39 years old, despite being a Wilson probate solicitor, I was really paralyzed by my own grief paperwork, but also undiagnosed neurodivergence. I made mistakes. I procrastinated. I felt ashamed that someone who helped other people couldn't cope with this stuff on her own, and you fast forward to today. I'm now a qualified counselor, nine years later, working as a grief coach, and I've turned that really painful experience into a superpower. So I now help people navigate end of life, admin, without the overwhelm that I experienced. The transformation comes from three C's. They are connection. Find people who truly gets it, someone who's walked this path before. More than just the technical knowledge, it's the practical but also the emotional understanding, clarity by that break that mountain of paperwork into manageable steps. It's not about doing things perfectly. It's about taking one step at a time and courage give yourself permission to tackle things messily Done is better than perfect when you're grieving. But the biggest lesson of all is that people don't need to figure this out alone. I became the person that I wish I'd had supporting me when I went through everything. So whether you're dealing with your own situation or supporting someone else, this isn't necessarily a crisis. Purchase with the right support, it becomes manageable. Thanks for having me here. Happy Birthday Ingrid. Take care.

Jo Jacob - Hi, I'm Jo Jacob from benella home organization, and I have been a professional organizer for over 20 years now, and in the last decade, I have absolutely specialized in home, moving and downsizing. So biggest insight, I guess, that I would love to share with you, in whatever scenario you have with regard to moving home or helping someone to move home, is to be kind to yourself, like it can be hard. It's one of the most. Stressful things, and there are lots of ways to really make it smoother, but be kind to yourself. Like, are you downsizing elderly parents? Is it an emotional move following illness or a divorce, or what's really hard is a bereavement? So start decluttering early. Give yourself time and space. And if there are various items that are just too hard to deal with, it's okay to box them up and then put them to one side until you're ready to be able to deal with them. Even as an organizer, it took me three years to be able to get to my parents photographs after I lost them both fairly suddenly. So just be kind. Just give yourself that space. And I always advise this with clients, especially, you know, if you're helping maybe elderly parents downsize and there's various dynamics going on, you know, just take a step back. Just try to sort of give yourself tips, of sort of just easing yourself in to go and help them, or I'm just passing by, can I quickly pop in and pick something up and take it onto the charity shop for you, you know, rather than trying to have conflict if they're a little bit resistant, and if it's for yourself that you're moving and you know you're feeling it really emotional, then go to something else, you know, do the kitchen if that's not an emotional area for you, do a study, you know, rather than the children's artwork from school or anything like that. So that's my biggest tip, be kind to yourself and give yourself time to do it so you're not rushed and you're not even more stressed than you probably are going to be already, but that's why we're here to help you. But that's my biggest insight into that. And I would also like to say, having been an organizer for over 20 years, I have known the wonderful Ingrid for a very, very long time as well, and I would like to wish her the happiest of birthdays. I am so fortunate to call you a friend. I'm so super proud of all that you have done with the declutter hub with Lesley, and I just wish you the best birthday. And I can't wait to see you on Sunday at the home life and you show

Julie Moody - each day, I try and make a point of remembering to feel grateful for as much as I possibly can. I think it's really easy to feel overwhelmed and forget what we actually have and how lucky we are to have it, and that's a natural thing. So each day, for example, I will try and think of one thing and flip it round. So for example, if I'm going to the gym on a Tuesday, instead of thinking, oh no, I've got to get up and go to the gym, I'm thinking, How lucky am I that I can afford to go to the gym. I'm fit and well, and I'm able to go on a regular basis to maintain my health and to maintain my mental well being. I think it's so easy for us to feel gloom and to not realize what we actually have. I hope this helps. It does help me. I would also like to say a very happy birthday to Ingrid, and I hope you have a wonderful day.

Laura Bright - Hi lovelies. I just want to say I'm so excited to be speaking at the home life and you show this year about mental health. I am happy to be open and honest about how I've struggled with my mental health and things that have helped me along my journey. I also want to do this, and so proud to be doing it, because talking about mental health can help break down the stigma and stamp out the stigma that people have against mental health issues and people who struggle. Cleaning and decluttering has always been a coping mechanism for me. It's always helped to have routine and be organized, and cleaning and decluttering does that for me, and I clean when I'm happy, when I'm sad, when I'm anxious, when I'm a bit frustrated about something, and it just always makes me feel better. So I'm looking forward to seeing the decluttering hub at the show this year too. I wanted to give a little bit of advice from me, so just be your authentic self. Just be you, but also take care of that one. Take care of that person. Take care of you. Because we all have busy lives and people to look after, but if you don't look after yourself, then you'll struggle look after others, so take time for self care. And lastly, you don't know what someone's going through. You don't know what their struggles may be, even behind a smile or a perfect Insta post, a perfect Insta home. So just be kind to people. I'd like to wish Ingrid a happy birthday and looking forward to seeing everybody at the show. Lastly, I just want to thank the home life and you show for the past two years at the show, letting me be part of it and letting me speak this year. I'm so looking forward to the show. And if you see me, please say hello. Please have that conversation. It's good to talk. So, yeah, just grab me say hello. I can't wait to meet new people. I can't wait to see people who I've seen in the previous years. And yeah, it's super exciting, and it's not long now.

Stephanie Rough - Hi everyone, and most importantly, Happy Birthday Ingrid. So I'm Stephanie. I am a professional organizer as well, and I'm founder of the organized zone based in Dorset. I see a lot of homes and a lot of chaos, and I am a mum of three, and so I know first hand how quickly things can really get out of control. So to me, routines are so important, and there's one habit that I swear by daily, and that's what this is all about. And I always recommend this to my clients. To start is really looking at laundry. Now, laundry might sound like a strange place to start, but it's actually one of the most complex household tasks so many different aspects. It's not just washing the clothes, it's sorting, it's drying, it's folding and it's putting away. That's always a bit of a killer, but the cycle never ends, and it's really one of the first areas that can spiral into overwhelm in a household, the mountains are there. We've all been there. So I built it into my daily rhythm, and every morning, while the coffee is brewing, I pop on a load. It's small, it's simple, and it sets the tone for the whole day. And look, let me be clear, I'm not one for telling people when you should do something in your home, in your routine, and you certainly won't hear me say you've got to get up earlier. If mornings aren't your thing, that's absolutely fine, but the real trick is finding a time of day that works for you and tag it onto another task. Might be a cup of tea in the afternoon. It might be as soon as you've come home from work, but put it with another habit so that it becomes automatic. And here's the bigger point, getting organized isn't about these huge, big one off declutters. It really is about small, consistent habits that really make your life flow more smoothly, and mastering something like laundry really does give you the confidence that you can tackle anything, and you can tackle any other areas of your home. So I, too am at the home life and you show this year, it's going to be bigger and better. And I really, really can't wait. I'll be featuring on the life HQ stage, sharing some more practical tips so for family home. So please do. Do come along. And I really can't wait to see all the other wonderful speakers and sessions that are booked. Last year was so much fun, and I really came away with lots and lots of ideas to put into my own home. So there's a bit for everything someone to learn. If you'd like to feel calmer, more organized and more in control, then do come along to the show. Can't wait to see you all. So before I go once again, happy birthday Ingrid. Hope you've had a great day, and to all of you listening. Really, hope you can find one small habit, like the laundry, that helps your home feel much calmer and more in control, because that's when your daily systems work and life becomes like you're winning. See you soon. Hello.

Penny Moyses - My name is Penny, and I'm the founder of home life, and you and I am delighted to be featured on this special birthday podcast Ingrid, many happy returns, wishing you the happiest of birthdays. I'm absolutely delighted that deed cutter hub are going to be joining us at home life, and you live on the 18th. And 19th of October. Excel London. I really hope to see you there. I know that Ingrid and Leslie have already shared the discount code, so get five pounds off your ticket and join us for a weekend where we explore how to improve your home life and well being. So the thing that has really improved my home, my life and my well being in the last year or so has been discovering time hacking, the concept that actually we don't need to fit in more we don't need more hours. We just need to make better decisions on what we want to do to drive the results that we want to create. So my biggest tip to you today would be think about what things on your to do, list you can delete, that you can automate, that you can delegate and then do, and if for whatever reason, you are delaying the doing, just be a bit aware as to why is that because of your limiting beliefs, perhaps, or because. You don't have all of the information or really that thing doesn't need doing, so be aware of those decisions that you are making or not making, because not making them is still making them. Really hope that helps you Happy birthday again Ingrid, and really look forward to seeing you very soon.

Ingrid - Well, listeners, we really hope you've enjoyed this fantastic podcast with all the different speakers that you will find at the home life in you event on in London, Excel on the 18th and 19th of October. We thank you so much for all my lovely birthday wishes. It's really, really appreciated. And of course, Lesley and I will be at home life and you as well, and there's several things that we're going to be doing. So first of all, on Saturday the 18th of October, at 11am Leslie and I will be on stage doing a talk all about how not to declutter and organize your home. So we're gonna bust through those decluttering myths. So if you're thinking about coming to home life, and you make sure you come to our talk, it would be so lovely to see you. We are also going to do a meetup for all of the members in our community at 3pm on the Saturday in the community hub. So if you're listening to this and thinking, I am going to the London Excel for home life, and you come and meet us and say hello at 3pm on Saturday the 18th of October, we would be absolutely delighted to meet you. Even if you're in our Facebook group, if you're a member of our declutter hub membership, please come along and say hello. And of course, if you have a hard copy of a book, bring it so we can actually put our signature in it? Because that would, of course, be absolutely fantastic. We would absolutely are

Lesley - you going to actually let me sign it this time? So we had a situation where we were just in Newcastle, we went into a bookshop, we found our book, and we said, oh, let's do the signing thing. And so I filmed her signing what I thought was going to be her signature, and actually she'd signed from the both of us. So I'm clearly not allowed to sign my own signature in my book. So yeah, so are you going to allow me to do some signing that day?

Ingrid - Definitely, definitely, because also Lesley, there will be a book shop on site as well, where our books will be as well. So if you don't have a copy yet, and you would love one, you can get one in the bookshop, and we can sign it for you as well. Yes, Leslie, I will make sure to bring two sharpies so you can sign your own copy. So that would be really good idea, wouldn't it? Anyways, we would love to see you there. So if you're thinking to yourself, you know what I fancy, one or two days in the London Excel, go to the clutter hub.com, forward slash tickets, and you will see all of the information there from home life and you and don't forget to put the coupon code declutter hub in, because you get money off to your entrance ticket. So that's always very handy, isn't it? And so that's the Saturday, and on Sunday, we are up for an award. We're very excited. It's service provider of the year. We are keeping everything crossed, and that's at 3pm on Sunday, so we'll be there as well. So come and find us. We would love to say hello.

Lesley - Do you know what Ingrid? It's just a really lovely event, isn't it, home life. And you Well, what was clean and tidy Home Show. But it's the same organizers and similar people that will go. And so it's just a really, really lovely event. Yeah, nice vibes, isn't it? Everyone's just up. And so it's nice. If you want a nice day out and you're anywhere near London or can get there easily, then go for it. But the good thing that ing, we didn't say is, if you're not there and you're the other side of the world and you're listening to this, our talk is going to be recorded live, which, yeah, we're quite sure how it's going to work out. So we're doing, effectively, a live podcast, which is going to be quite interesting. So you will hopefully, if all goes according to plan, hear our talk on the podcast in a few weeks time. So do listen in now, I don't think I've actually said Happy Birthday Ingrid. I think I've alluded to the fact that's your birthday. I think I've outed you for being 52 I don't think I've actually said Happy Birthday. So before we go huge, Happy Birthday partner. Love you to bits. Delighted to be still doing this with you seven years later, and let's hope that your 53rd year, because I believe that's what it is, is a very

Ingrid - special one. Thank you, Lesley, so much appreciated, and right back at you.

Ingrid - Thanks so much for listening to the declutter hub podcast. Don't forget to subscribe to us in your podcast player so you don't miss an episode and we'll see you next week.