Conquering Clutter

08/08/2025

Do you like cats? Then August 8th is a day to celebrate.

08/06/2025

Hey, music parent!

I see you sitting in the audience, and I know what you are feeling: proud, excited, supportive, and WORRIED.

What does the future look like for your child? Will they go to college? What will they study? How will you pay for it?! What activities should they be doing to earn great opportunities down the road? Is it worth fighting with a kid when they don’t want to practice?

Who can help navigate these waters?

I CAN.

College acceptance is about far more than grades and test scores.

Schools are discovering that many students do not have the skills necessary to be successful at the college level and beyond. But, they are also seeing that MUSIC STUDENTS have skills that others do not: independent learning, listening, working with others, taking criticism, working hard toward a distant goal, confidence, staying strong under pressure, mastering skills, memorization, leadership, and many more.

Graduate schools of medicine, research, and law are now actively recruiting students with music degrees because they are capable of practicing skills long-term – something the average person does not learn.

My programs have been designed over years of experience helping music students plan for college – whether they plan to major in music or any other field. I help them build a resume that will demonstrate their unique skills and I show them how to use that background to become a leading candidate for any college program. And, I have successfully lead my clients to win sizable scholarships to participate in music while in college.

I can help YOU and your musical teen.

Send me a message to start a conversation about your awesome kid. I can't wait to answer questions you didn't even know you had!

08/05/2025

How many writing utensils did you get rid of?

08/01/2025

Can you fit at least 1 car in your garage?

For tips on organizing your garage be on the look out for my August newsletter.

07/30/2025

Calling all Women Entrepreneurs who are Living Childfree- This will be a great event. Tiffanie is great at bringing people together and helping them share ideas. Check it out. Chena Morris Sarah Hawlik

🦄 I always knew I was a unicorn.

At last week’s Women Entrepreneurs Living Childfree event, as woman after woman shared how they were used to being the unicorn in the room... something clicked. 🧠✨

Maybe it was already deep in my bones.
Maybe it was fresh in my mind after watching The Last Unicorn and The Secret of NIMH (yes, I went full nostalgic 80s weekend).
Either way… it hit me:

🦄 This is OUR story.

In The Last Unicorn, Amalthea (the last) sets off to find the others.
She knows they’re out there.
She’s tired of feeling like the only one.
And spoiler alert: she was never the only one. They were just scattered.

Just like us.

Last fall, I met someone who sparked a quest, one that’s taken me through 2025 searching for other women like me:

✅ Women entrepreneurs who live life childfree.
✅ Women building empires instead of changing diapers.
✅ Women creating legacy and impact, without the mom title.

And you know what? I found them. YOU. US.
Brilliant. Bold. Hilarious. Fierce.
Rising. Together. 🌟

No evil sorcerers or red bulls could stop us.
(Okay, maybe a few time zone conversions, calendar conflicts, and content edits… 😅)

Now it’s happening:
✨ We’re gathering.
✨ We’re celebrating.
✨ We’re building the community we’ve been waiting for.

💛 The Quest Has Begun 💛
Let’s find the others.

So…
🦄 Are you a unicorn too?
🦄 Know someone who is?

👇 Tag her. Message her. Share this.

And come celebrate with us:

🎉 Int'l Childfree Day: Connect, Collaborate, Celebrate!
📅 Friday, August 1st
🕜 1:30 – 4:30 PM ET
📍 Live on Zoom
🎟️ Tickets + Info: https://womenentrepreneurslivingchildfree.com/

Unicorns, assemble. 💫

07/29/2025

Where do you like to donate books?

07/23/2025

If you or a family member or friend are a serious musician, this post is for you.

Should serious music students take a break from practicing. . . ?

A parent recently came to me very concerned.

Their teen is working with me on college applications for music schools, but he wants to take a break from practicing when they go on a family vacation.

The parents want to make arrangements for him to have practice time, since he's preparing for college auditions and has big goals. They are worried that he might be losing his passion for the instrument, and wonder if he should consider pursuing a different field.

I told them to take the vacation and leave the instrument at home.

The late, great, Ed Gobrecht – bassoonist, conductor, educator, master inspirer – once horrified a group of undergraduate music majors at Ithaca College by recommending that we all take a month off from our instrument every summer.

His point was that no other professionals practice every day for their entire lives, and everyone needs a break in order to avoid boredom, stagnation, and injury. Professional athletes take a break in the off-season. Surgeons, lawyers, and engineers take vacation time. Writers and artists take time off to seek inspiration. Why should musicians be compelled to never take a break, or feel guilty for leaving their instrument at home when going on vacation?

“But, my tone will go out the window!” Or, “I’ll lose my technique!!”

Gobrecht said that it will all come back and will very likely end up being better than before. Why? Because the break was refreshing, invigorating, perhaps even inspiring. And, returning to your instrument will feel like reuniting with an old friend.

One month before taking graduate school auditions, I traveled to Mexico for a week with no flute. I planned my practicing prior to the trip so that I would be ready to audition before I left. I planned a week of embouchure exercises and regrouping when I returned, and that gave me three weeks to polish my auditions. I returned refreshed, excited, and on a mission to have some amazing auditions – then got accepted to my top two schools.

So, my amazing young colleague, do it. Leave your instrument at home. Enjoy time with family at the lake. Go hiking with friends or roll in some sand. Eat a fancy meal and visit a museum.

Give yourself a few days of not being a musician.

Then, pick the thing back up. You will be excited to get back to work, and your practice time will take on a whole new enthusiastic meaning.

07/23/2025

Bathroom remodel: items from bathroom moved to the den.
Client and I sorted through items: threw away some, put others in a donation box and the rest back in the bathroom.
Now the den is tidy and functional.

07/17/2025

A thought from author James Clear that can be applied to organizing your home or office:

"Be forgiving with your past self. What's done is done. Take the lessons with you and release the guilt.

Be strict with your present self. Win the moment in front of you right now.

Be flexible with your future self. There are many paths to success. You don't need life to be a certain way to live well."

Are you ready to move forward in becoming organized?
I am here to help you.
Reach out to me at www.conqueringclutter.net to get started.

Conquering Clutter is a professional organization business based in Cadillac, Michigan. I help people at their homes or workplaces to organize their papers and other possessions so that they can be in control and manage things in their life.

07/16/2025

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07/16/2025

Helping clients to declutter and bless others.
These car loads were donated to the local
Habitat for Humanity Restore.

Where do you like to donate items to bless others?

Check out my website for Tips and Resources:
www.conqueringclutter.net

07/15/2025

Is the Interior of your car cluttered?
Check out today's Tuesday tip.