Blog - Alison's Notebook

An open kitchen cabinet door with a handwritten house notes sheet taped inside and a spare key hanging on a small hook

The House-Sitter Test: Could Someone Find What They Need in Your House?

My phone buzzed at seven in the morning, a few hours’ drive from home. This summer, my husband and I drove to my daughter’s house for a long weekend. My …

A kitchen table in an older home covered with sorted piles and labeled boxes, a mug of coffee and a notebook, with a drawer pulled open

The Hundreds of Little Decisions: Clearing a Parent’s House Without Wearing Yourself Out

Nobody tells you that the hardest part of clearing out a parent’s house isn’t the lifting. It’s the deciding. When my mother passed, my brother and I had thirty days …

A kitchen table with a canvas tote of things to donate, a mug of coffee, reading glasses and a notepad, beside a half-cleared drawer

The Decluttering Myths I Believed Until My 60s

For most of my life, I believed nine things about clutter that weren’t true. I didn’t know they weren’t true. They just sounded right, so I never stopped to question …

Smiling woman in her 60s in a layered winter outfit with a camel coat and teal cardigan walking under the elevated tracks in Chicago

Winter Layering For Women Over 60: 7 Cozy Outfits That Keep You Warm

How winter layering works, the best fabrics for each layer, and 7 cozy layered outfits for women over 60.

A dresser drawer and an open box of keepsakes on a kitchen table with old photos, a book, reading glasses and a mug of coffee

Things Nobody Tells You About Decluttering After 60

If you’re about to start clearing out your house, I’d like to tell you a few things first. Nobody told me these. I learned every one of them the slow …

Smiling woman in her 70s in a long red puffer coat and jeans walking on a snowy Vermont village main street

How To Style A Puffer Jacket Over 60 (7 Warm Outfits That Look Polished)

What to look for in a puffer jacket after 60, plus 7 warm outfits you can copy and simple tricks so it never looks bulky.

A green armchair by a bedroom window with a small side table holding only a lamp, reading glasses and one book

Decluttering for the Life I’m Living Now (Not Just for Someday)

“Grandma, what do you do all day?” My younger granddaughter asked me that on a Saturday afternoon. She wasn’t being rude. She really wanted to know. I opened my mouth …

A floral couch beside a side table holding a lamp, reading glasses, a remote, a phone and a mug of tea

Decluttering the Living Room When You’re Over 60 (Start From Your Own Chair)

Every fall, once it starts getting dark before supper, our living room turns into the busiest room in the house. That’s where we eat our popcorn and watch the news. …

Smiling woman in her 60s with a gray bob in a cobalt sweater, camel coat and jeans walking on a busy Seattle waterfront sidewalk

How Not To Look Frumpy At 50 (8 Simple Swaps That Make A Big Difference)

8 simple swaps that keep you from looking frumpy at 50, with before and after photos and 3 outfits to copy.

A worn wooden rocking chair with a crocheted throw by a living room window with sheer curtains

What to Do With Old Furniture When Your Kids Don’t Want It (Without the Guilt)

Last month, my daughter sat down in the old rocking chair by our living room window. She gave it one slow push with her foot, the same way I used …