Blog - Alison's Notebook

A grown child's old bedroom with a twin bed, a half-full closet, and boxes on the floor, the kind of room you face when decluttering after 50

What I Wish I’d Known About Clutter When I Turned 50

The autumn I turned 50, my youngest moved into a first apartment across town, and just like that, the house was ours again. I stood in that empty bedroom the …

An open shoebox spilling loose faded family photos onto a wooden table with a pencil resting on top, ready for labeling old family photos

I Labeled the Backs of My Photos So the Faces Don’t Become Strangers

It was a slow, rainy afternoon, and my granddaughter had pulled an old shoebox of photos down from my shelf to keep herself busy. She sat cross-legged on the floor, …

An open wooden dresser drawer holding a lanyard, reading glasses, and a planner, the kind of sentimental items you've outgrown

I Held On to Who I Used to Be, One Drawer at a Time

Have you ever opened a drawer you hadn’t touched in years and felt like you were looking at a stranger’s things? Except they were yours. Every single one. That happened …

Woman in her seventies with short silver hair in a camel coat, teal sweater, and scarf on a winter street.

8 Winter Outfits For Women Over 70 That Are Warm And Easy To Put On

Winter outfits for women over 70 that stay warm without the bulk. Eight easy looks you can build from what you own, plus the best boots and colors for winter.

I Alphabetized My Avoidance: How I Mistook Organizing for Decluttering

I once spent four hours “decluttering” my house and threw away absolutely nothing. I sorted. I arranged. I made neat little piles and even labeled a few things (the label …

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Style Mistakes That Instantly Age Women Over 70 (And The Quick Fixes)

The style mistakes that instantly age women over 70, and the quick fix for each. Small at-a-glance changes that lift your look, mostly with what you own.

A warm shared living room with a calm armchair corner and a husband's tidy shelf of kept things nearby

My Husband Keeps Everything, and I Finally Made Peace With It

My husband can’t throw anything away. I say that with love, mostly. After forty years of marriage, I’ve made my peace with it. But it took me a long time …

Middle-aged woman wearing a long-sleeve blue wrap blouse tied at the waist and dark gray trousers in a modern living room setting.

10 Fashion Mistakes Over 50 (And How To Fix Each One)

Ten common fashion mistakes over 50, each with a simple fix. Look current and feel like yourself again, mostly with pieces you already own.

A cozy armchair corner with a side table drawer being sorted, a gentle first step for where to start decluttering

Where to Start Decluttering When You’re a Senior and The Clutter Feels Too Much

Have you ever stood in the middle of a room that needed clearing, looked around at all of it, and felt so overwhelmed that you just sat back down? You …

A warm, lived-in living room full of a lifetime of belongings, the starting point for decluttering for women over 70

Decluttering for Women Over 70: A Kinder Way to Lighten a Lifetime of Things

If you’re over 70 and looking around at everything you’ve gathered over a lifetime, wondering how you’ll ever sort through it all, I want you to take a breath. This …