Calm | Winter, 2022

Dear Clients and Friends,

Recently, I settled into my favorite comfy chair with a cup of tea and I breathed in the scent of siberian fir emerging from my diffuser. I rested quietly for a few minutes, allowing the warmth of the mug in my hands and the fragrance to bring me back to my happiest memories of the holiday season. Slowly, I re-acquainted myself with each memory, and then I asked myself: how do I want to feel this season?

I do this exercise ever year around this time, and usually a word or a phrase surfaces right away. Calm. Connected. Grateful. Delighted. These words become my anchors over the next few weeks, grounding me and guiding me back to what I want to experience during the holidays. 

As we enter December, I invite you to slow down and connect to what matters most to you.

With deep care,

Sarah Thompson
Clean Slate Home Organizing

How this holiday season can be different

When we lose sight of what matters most, we often feel drained. But it doesn't have to be that way.

I invite you to pause, just for a moment, and ask yourself, “How do I want to feel at the end of this holiday season?” If you don’t celebrate any winter holidays, the increasingly short days provide a wonderful opportunity to turn inward and reflect on how you would like to grow in the coming year. There’s no need to overthink this; just go with whatever easily arises. Now take another breath and let that desire settle into your being.  

What you yearn for really matters. 

Perhaps you want to feel relaxed, peaceful, connected, thankful, or steady. Maybe you long for joy, laughter, wonder, belonging, or delight.  Likely more than one word or phrase emerged. Just note them, even if they seem contradictory. 

Now, imagine these words guiding you this month. Allow them to strengthen your  connection to yourself and those you care about. Let them become your deeper purpose for the season.

Make a plan. Once you acknowledge how you want to feel, think about the upcoming month and identify the rhythms, activities, relationships that would best support what you yearn for. 

Look at your calendar: Let how you want to feel guide as many scheduling decisions as possible. Choose carefully. Give yourself the freedom to pull back a bit or say no to those things that don’t support what you actually want.  

Remember: less is more. In the same way that we might declutter a room to create space for what you love, consider paring down the holiday season to those essentials that bring you the most joy. Let your deeper purpose for the season protect the commitments and relationships that are most important to you. 

Rest. Please take care of yourself gently this month. Sleep and rest are essential in order to nurture connection to ourselves and those we love. Set aside time to recharge.  

When I recently followed this process, I realized that I longed to feel generous, warm, calm, and connected at home and at work. For me, that means prioritizing time with my daughters when they are home from college, and so I chose to schedule a little less work in December. I must admit that I was initially uncomfortable with this decision, but when I reminded myself that it was completely aligned with what's important to me, I felt energized by my intentions for the season.

It feels so good to honor my purpose for the holidays, and I invite you to claim space for what matters most to you.

Make your home feel spacious for the holidays

We have a few "decluttering for the holidays" sessions available to help you create a warm and welcoming atmosphere for your family this season or to help you prepare for your guests. We are also scheduling post-holiday sessions if you need help putting your house back together for the new year.

Let's can talk about how Clean Slate can help bring a sense of spaciousness to the season: sarah@cleanslatevermont.com.

Connecting with the children in your life.

As a child, my siblings and I spent hours and hours making gifts for our family members, and when my kids were little, they did the same. Making gifts with my children is one of my favorite parts of the holiday season, although to be honest, I love it all!
 

Some years we made treats, other years we crafted out of yarn or painted or made ornaments or scented body sprays. You don't need to be artistic to make simple, homemade gifts. An online search will yield many age-appropriate ideas or simply follow your child’s lead, encouraging their self expression, kindness, and creativity. 
 

When children pour their hearts into a homemade gift, it lasts a lifetime...long after the item itself has disintegrated. It is a wonderful way to slow the season down, build connection, and instill a lifelong attitude of generosity.

Create a simple sanctuary of peace and beauty

The wonder of the natural world can inspire us to slow down and awaken to beauty.  

I create mini havens of peace throughout my home as reminders to center myself. I gather items from nature when I'm walking in my neighborhood or on my favorite trail, and then bring the beauty of the ordinary, natural world into my home. These little sanctuaries might stay up for a few days or several weeks, just long enough to capture my attention and help me stay grounded in the rhythms of nature.

Perhaps you'd like choose a small place in your home – a shelf, a corner of a desk, a bedside table, a centerpiece – and transform it into a peaceful sanctuary with something simple from nature. If you need inspiration, check out the beautiful work of Kate Robinson of Wild Birch Designs.

Save the date: January 14, 2023

Donate your furniture to young moms moving into their first apartments.

The support for Wraparound Families, Client Slate's initiative with Lund Family Center, has been remarkable. Beginning on January 14, I will be hosting a Wraparound Families furniture collection day on the second Saturday of most months.

If you have items in excellent condition that you'd like to donate to help furnish an apartment for a young mother and her child, here's what you can do:

• Let me know what you have to donate. Complete this form (scroll down to the end of the Wraparound Families page) and then send me a photo of each item. I'm creating a database of donations so that I can easily match furniture with those who need it.

• Drop off your smaller items on January 14th from 10-2 in at the Wraparound Families storage unit in Williston, or schedule a pick up for larger items that day.

I am looking for drivers with trucks who can pick up bigger pieces of furniture and bring them to the unit in Williston. If you know of anyone, please let me know.

We continue to collect items for Housewarming baskets too. Please see a complete list of needed items below.

Furniture We Are Collecting

All items need to be in beautiful condition

We are currently seeking these items:

• small bookshelves

• lamps

• dressers (not super heavy)

• small dining table and chairs (for max 4 people)

• bed frames (not mattresses at this time)

• couches - on the smaller side (no 7 footers!)

• comfy chairs

• household items (matching dish sets, glasses, flatware, pots and pans)

​If you have a special item that is not on this list but would be perfect for a young mom and her child, please reach out to me: sarah@cleanslatevermont.com.

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Nurturing Community

I send inspiring updates seasonally.  If you'd like to support my work, please forward this newsletter to a friend or visit my website. To learn more about my home organizing services, moving services or family coaching sessions, find Clean Slate on Facebook and Instagram @cleanslatevermont or email me at sarah@cleanslatevermont.com.

CLEAN SLATE: Bringing ease to your home, your move, and your family life.