Sparking Joy in East!

With the first day of Fall quickly upon us and more time indoors, now is the perfect time to tidy up!

“Okay but what about lightbulbs?”, I asked. Sitting across the table from me, Mabel Heitmeier, certified organizing consultant and owner of Spark Joy in MI, knew exactly what I meant with the strange question.

“Well first,” she responded, “sort them into types based on how they fit into the fixture. From there, you can organize based on wattage or use. Always in a clear container.” Well duh, why hadn’t I thought of that?

There we were, two strangers talking lightbulbs over matching lobster rolls at a table outside of Olive’s. To be more accurate, there I was, completely fangirling across the table from someone who has an extraordinary amount of knowledge and practical, tangible advice for a system of organization that I’ve been following for years.

A few years ago, after it had already been on the bestseller list for a long time, I decided to give The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Japanese author and organizer Marie Kondo. At first, the KonMari method seemed daunting. Throw all of your clothes- from the dresser, closets, storage, from under the bed, etc, all in one pile. Pick up each item, hold it in your hand, and quickly “joy-check”- decide whether or not this one item in your hand sparks joy within you. Yes? Keep it! No? Get rid of it, it’s not serving you!

The concept seemed so simple and sensible to me I decided to give it a shot. Though admittedly it had taken me a long time, once everything in my home sparked joy and had a home, tidying was an absolute breeze. Since moving again in April, I’ve begun the process all over again and absolutely love it. Life-changing? Without a doubt.

Mabel’s story is incredible. Growing up in Hong Kong with her parents and sister, space was limited. “Stuff” had no place, only items that mattered. From there, she travelled extensively and lived abroad, taking with her only the necessities and items that delighted her. When she read the book years ago, she felt her calling, went through extensive training to become a Bronze KonMari Consultant in organizing and has never looked back.

As a business owner, wife, and mother of a Lakeside kindergartener, Mabel’s contribution to her clients in East has been tremendous. Just looking at her site and Facebook page, you truly get the feeling that the services she provides completely transform how her clients relate to their surroundings.

Sad closet:(

Joy-filled closet:)

After just a short amount of chatting, my fangirling quickly transitioned into a thorough enjoyment of our conversation and the energy that Mabel brings. Yes, we had matching lobster rolls and are both moms to one child. We both have our undergrads in linguistics, a fact that immediately connected us for a multitude of reasons. More than our similarities however, Mabel’s kind nature and simplistic yet joyful approach to life were what made me acknowledge that as a business owner, she sees opportunity only in helping people live in harmony with their surroundings. Further, hearing her talk about why she loves what she does is really a beautiful thing to witness and is the reason I will forever recommend her services to clients and friends alike.

If you’re looking for more time, structure, and harmony in your own life, reach out to Mabel. She’s incredible!

For more information, check out her site at www.sparkjoyinmi.com, and for even more joy, send her an email at sparkjoyinmi@gmail.com and she will send back a super helpful and printable (believe me, it’s great) tidy checklist for the perfect place to start on your own KonMari journey. 

Cheers, and a tremendous amount of joy to you and yours.

Hannah