Podcast | Don’t Ignore The Nudge Podcast | Cori Freeman (dontignorethenudge.com) Back in September 2021 after a brief catch up with Cori Freeman, she asked if I’d join her to chat on her podcast “Don’t Ignore the Nudge”
Are you busting at the seams with an abundance of everything? (books, toys, dishes, clothes, craft
supplies, fabrics, toiletries). I know it’s not just me. Over the years, I have moved and I have assisted
friends with moving and the common complaint is having an excess of everything. Sometimes it’s due to
lack of organization, gifts received, sentimental attachments, or just not even knowing where to start.
When my daughter woke up on this beautiful Saturday morning asking what adventures we were going
to have, I said we are going to clear the clutter. I let her know that we have too much and we need to do
this together. She was less than thrilled and then I just explained that it’s important that she has a say in
what leaves our home which was easy for her to agree with. I also reminded her that she’s a big part of
our home and we both contribute to the overall love in our home. These points were impossible to
argue with and so, we began.
Let’s backtrack a moment. I know I am not alone when I say I have always said that “your presence is the
present” when inviting friends or family to birthday celebrations. I know that a love language is gift
giving and I am guilty because I do love to give. I have said that it’s also great when people just want to
contribute to an extracurricular activity or find time to spend with us. These requests are met with
beautiful, amazing and thoughtful and generous gifts which have left us where we begin this journey of
decluttering.
I let her know while I was decluttering, she would be as well and that
she could decide what she was ready to part with. We stopped to reminisce about things we found,
notes, photos and who gifted us these mementos. We created, keep, donate, toss and gift piles. We
stopped for meal breaks but kept at it for six long hours. We only got through one category each but she
said she felt good about this because now she actually knows where all of her special items are. I was
her assistant through much of it so I actually got less done in the process but we were able to remove 4
large bags of items from our space which is definitely a huge success. But the most successful part was
the bond we shared during this process.
Here are some key “wins”
Instagram photo @thepeacefulpreparedenvironment
When I was a child, I loved moving the furniture around in my bedroom. I shared a room with my little sister, Jennifer who is four years younger. Over the years, we had two twin beds, bunk beds and even shared a full sized bed. I think my favorite combination was when we had our two separate beds. I climbed up to attach sheets down the center of the room to create a feeling of two separate spaces.
I remember creating a comfy spot in the closet to read or listen to music in. I had a collection of porcelain cats and she had a collection of Care Bears.
My fondness for space planning grew as I got older and my Dad took me to a few of his job sites in the Kimberly Crest community of Redlands, California. He owned and operated his carpentry business and created beautiful custom oak staircases and cabinetry. I remember dreaming of some day designing such incredible spaces and perhaps even living in one myself. I was excited when he gave me one of his old drafting pencils. You could often find me sketching spaces, furniture and sometimes accessories or even clothing just for fun.
I took the opportunity to take a drafting class in High School and then collected every design magazine I could get my hands on and I made it a goal to study Interior Design. During my pursuit, I learned I had leadership skills and successfully ran some businesses while attending classes to achieve my goal. My favorite business to run as a Store Leader was Restoration Hardware. It had everything I loved, leading a team of extraordinary people, personal development, design, client relations, business management, travel and creativity.
My passion evolved as I became a parent and had a deep desire to be fully present in that new journey. I discovered Montessori education for my child and for myself. I remember one of the first days working at the Montessori school, one of the Guides asked my background and when I shared, she said, “oh, the prepared environment.” (A Montessori term for a space created for children in mind). book nookbaby bed
After spending decades in the Interior Design industry, business management and the last six years studying, learning and working in Montessori environments, I have seen just how impactful it is to create spaces for clients which includes all members of the family. Recently, I staged a home with the intent to sell it. I know that is what I have learned over the years, design is ever evolving. Creating spaces for the people who have or will inhabit them, creating spaces with intention.
So, why? Life evolves. We receive whispers to adapt, change, move and change. All of my passions are still intact. I am passionate about design, creating beautiful, serene and purposeful spaces for all of the people who will use the spaces. I have been approached by parents wanting to homeschool or create environments in their homes to support the children and therefore, I am stepping forward to listen to the whisper.