It all started with a Facebook post.

Well, technically, it all started back in February when my dad called to tell me that there was a house for sale on the street on which he grew up. I did not need much encouragement to take a look at the grand looking house, built in 1924, that from the photos, reminded me of another very special house that I was able to make our own.

(Hint: 511)

It was a very cold morning, and my husband and I toured the house quickly, as we were on our way down to D.C. for a short getaway, just the two of us…and immediately I felt an overwhelming pull: it was supposed to be my house.

Not only was the house loaded with charm, with features like incredible molding & marble, beautiful hardwood floors and big bedrooms, each with their own bathroom, for each of my kids, but it was also on the street which my beloved nanny had raised her own family. As a bonus, it has the entrance hallway about which I have been dreaming (pictured below).
We made an offer 2 days later. The first page of our offer was a letter to the seller, who had lived there and cherished the home for 50 years. I told her that I could see my daughter coming down the majestic staircase, dressed up for a school dance or prom; I could see my son romping around the magical property with his friends; it had been such a happy home for the family who lived there and I wanted that for our family.

A fresh start.

And our offer was accepted.

Many steps were taken (some quite arduously) along the way, but one of the most daunting parts of the process for me was the prospect of the actual move. First, it would not be a traditional move (and by that I mean that it would not be the kind of move that I had done before). We would be moving out of 511, storing our furniture, moving in with my parents, staying there indefinitely as we waited to close on the new house, then doing a few cosmetic things to the new house, having our furniture moved out of storage and into the house and then, ultimately, moving in.

This move would take a lot of effort, in that we would have to pack in an extremely organized way to account for the fact that most of our belongings would be in storage for six weeks, and because of some of my issues (post postpartum) I needed help to actually, physically pack up our stuff.

And so I crowd sourced on Facebook, and some trusted members of a parent community recommended Carrie Kauffman of Carrie’s Essential Services. Recommended is not the right word; they raved.

And so I reached out to Carrie, she called me within an hour, and our story began.

Carrie explained to me that not only does she help to pack and move people, but that she specializes in personal organization, de-cluttering homes, relocation services and works on projects big and small, personal and corporate.

We chatted easily and I asked her how she got into this business, one that seems so…well…essential. 

After having her twins, a daughter and son, she was looking for her next move (no pun intended) and in order to figure out in which direction she should go she made a list of the things that she both liked to do and felt would highlight her strengths. After going over her list, her husband came up with a solution that seemed like a no brainer: she should be a professional organizer. He was so right.

Carrie talked to me about her services and credentials, but what really struck me during that first phone call was that she genuinely seemed to care about helping her clients, even prospective ones like myself, to make their lives easier and better. Knowing that moving can be such a stressful process, I could tell  that she took pride and found contentment in being able to ease people’s burdens.

Wearing her signature monogramed t-shirt and signature smile, Carrie came to our house the very next day, took stock of what we had and told us that she could pack us up (while helping to organize our things in the process) in a week.

We booked her on the spot.

She was like the Mary Poppins of personal organization, but instead of pulling an umbrella and coat rack out of her bag, she had packing tape and incredible fortitude. Though, after a week with Carrie, I wouldn’t be shocked if she could pull a coat rack out of her small purse. She’s kind of amazing like that.

My main concern–or ask–in preparing to move was actually getting things packed, as the task would prove too laborious for me to do on my own. Let me say, this is not because I am lazy, but because I am not in a physical place to be doing something that is so (surprisingly) active. Yet, as Carrie explained to me, even if I were simply being lazy, or busy working, or having lunch in the next room as she worked, she was committed to her job and would do it and do it meticulously, thoughtfully and would help every one of her clients in the unique ways that they needed.

And oh, did I need help.

I am slightly embarrassed to show you this photo, but our beautiful finished basement often looked like this:

I would try to organize, and then my kids would get one afternoon of playtime in and my neat basement would look like the Yo Gabba Gabba friends had taken toy trains to the basement to have a crazy rave. See the two Munos on the floor? See? Wild times.

And then Carrie stepped in. She started with the basement, as it is where we needed the most help, and where she wanted to make sure we were most organized. Instead of boxing up all of the crap we had accumulated, she carefully sorted through each and every toy, giving each category a name, a bin and a function. The bins were then placed in plastic bags and then in moving boxes, which were then labeled. This way, when it came time to unpack weeks (or months) later, we would be bringing along only the things we needed and wanted, and they would already be organized and streamlined. While it was not easy for me to throw some things away,

(I had some “But that was my daughter’s favorite toy for 4 minutes when she was 6 months old! I don’t are that it’s broken, shouldn’t I just keep it for a few more years?” moments)

 Carrie had an answer that was clear and emphatic.

“No.”

And so we tossed the broken toys, made piles to donate, other piles to give to friends with babies, and repurposed whatever we could.

What you see below is a touch of Carrie’s magic.

The toys are organized in bins categorized as follows: vehicles, balls, legos, plastic food, plastic animals, plastic people, Play-Doh, art supplies…

Yes. She took Muno’s rave and turned it into a systematically arranged playroom-to-be.

Carrie did laundry, swept floors, vacuumed rugs and listened. And listened. And listened. She listened hard. The days went on, and Carrie and I spent more and more time together, and the more we did, the more we talked. I had many more moments where sentimentality took over rationality, and Carrie employed the perfect balance of hand-holding and pushing. She let me hold onto things that really meant something, but when I asked her to keep 7 year old makeup, she said no. And she was right in doing so.

“Things are just things,” she would say. Though it was matter of fact, it was brimming with emotion and sensitivity from her. She got the fact that “things” matter to people and that they often represent more than the tangible items we can hold. But what she explained to me, in a loving and thoughtful way, was that we have the memories; the experiences are etched into our minds indelibly; we don’t always need to keep the artifacts, as well. This was really profound, and so I gave away as much as I could, tossed the 7 year old makeup and waded through a beautiful sea of memories.

During our week together I also had the honor of giving Carrie, a very experienced professional with hundreds of clients under her belt, a first: Together, we went to the dump because yes, I did have that much trash, and she has an SUV. We were quite the site: two petite women, one in pajamas (that would be me), heaving trash into the back of a dumpster.

Literal heavy lifting seen below. #strongcarrie

The week that Carrie worked with us was a difficult one in my personal life. Things came up. Doctors appointments were scheduled and others popped up unexpectedly. And yet, Carrie never once complained about my lack of ability to help. She told me to take care of myself. And while I was out following orders, she turned overflowing, disorganized rooms into these:

When it came time for the movers to move us out, every box was packed and labeled, each piece of furniture tagged, and my fears were assuaged.

She gave me some helpful pro tips (like making sure to take our bedding with us, as opposed to storing it, so that the kids would have beds–and a sense of place–immediately in the new house).

It has been 2 months since we moved out of 511 and this weekend will be three weeks in the new house. Because of Carrie’s (essential) services, unpacking has been 8 million times easier, more organized and less stressful that it would have otherwise. Our house looks like a house, not like a mess of boxes, and for this I am supremely grateful.

[Note: If you want to see tons of pictures of our new home, our transition and the decor, follow me on instagram @mommyeverafter ]

And not only did I gain organizational skills with Carrie (while losing tons of clutter and junk), but I also gained great insight, some that I have already imparted to other friends, about how liberating it can be to just let go.

And, most importantly, I have gained a friend. Carrie is someone in whom I confided and she has been a supportive, positive presence in my life ever since we had our time together.

Carrie Kauffman is an angel of a woman for anyone who is looking to organize, declutter, relocate, pack or move. She is supportive, effective, trustworthy and excellent at her job.

Most of all, she takes away the burden and stress that comes along with moving. She does the heavy-lifting, both literally and figuratively, and helped me to make the seemingly impossible possible. Muno’s rave is now an organized tea party, with plastic food that is all from the same plastic storage bin. I never thought that I would have this. I am so grateful.

For anyone who is moving, give Carrie a call. She can walk you through the process, give you an idea of how she can help and maybe, just maybe, you will get to see her pull a coat rack out of her small purse.

And if you do, you must let me know.

And if she does pull out that coat rack, she will know exactly where to put it in your neat, organized home.

***

As promised, here is a photo of our new entrance hallway, the big space that I have always wanted. I joked earlier this week that we can sock ice skate in there (because if I had real ice skates, Carrie would have turned to me, given me a look and placed them in the pile “to donate”).

This is the entrance to our new home and to our new lives. Crossing this threshold, for me, is like stepping into a new beginning. One in which I treasure the things that are important, rid myself of the things that are not, and remain thoughtful about every thing. As you can see, there is no clutter in this foyer space. And that is not because I have not yet unpacked all of the boxes for that space, because I have. I still have some art to hang, but what you see is what this room will be.

Essentially. 

This post was written in collaboration with Carrie Kauffman and Carrie’s Essential Services. As always, all reviews & comments were honest and all opinions were 100% my own.