Category: Family

Swedish Death Cleaning, what is that?

1/24/2020

Yeah, me too.....what is the Swedish Death Cleaning? Or is that some crazy new band name? I was in the library yesterday and stumbled onto a book entitled "The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning". My gut response was immediately, well if that is NOT hygge. But then I opened the cover and skimmed the table of contents. WRONG I was--its all about hygge. Making room of enjoying life by removing clutter and over abundance....but this time not just for me, but for those you leave behind and removing clutter for them when I am not around anymore. I was intrigued, I want to learn more. Yes, I checked it out.

I am just starting the book, but WOW. They conceptually frame how to view our stuff differently. No spark joy here folks. Just the cut to the chase ideas from a 86 year old Swede.
The concept of Magnusson's book is simple: Keep what you use and what others could use or want.
Although I am younger than when she says for one to start to this process (age 65 or older), I can see its merit, both for me now and for others later.

So what I have done so far--
1) As she suggests, I headed to my closet. I was easily able to remove items I don't wear (this was easily done as I have started hanging my hangars up backwards and able to visually see what I don't wear for a year....then it gets donated). I did the same with my kid's closets and involved them in determining what they don't like (thus don't wear) and what was too small to pass on.
2) This morning I tackled the filing cabinet--and I weeded like I do annually. The cabinet is 10lbs lighter of paper.
3) The storage room--I know, for many that is an overwhelming room to start with, but one that I knew I could rock! There is now a box full of kids toys, art creations from my high school years, surveys completed from my disseration 10+ years ago and broken stuff I have kept but never used. (I only have the old photos to sort left).
4) To do still

books--she recommends keeping only what you have not read or will read again, give away the rest. I will have to modify to keep those having memories too.
garage (waiting until its warmer)
kitchen (there is just sooo much there!)

Magnusson wrote, "Life will be more pleasant & comfortable if we get rid of some of the abundance."

Things I have realized so far:
1) I love bowls, pretty bowls to eat from.
2) Black, gray, and white seem to be the colors I prefer wearing the most.
3) I love functional old stuff--like that old refrigerator from 1940 that I can store stuff in.

I have been cold I am minimalistic already, and by what Magnusson writes, I think I have death cleaned most of life, so doing this exercise is relatively easy for me.

As I continue to read, I have questions already:
1) how has her quality of life changed by removing the clutter that many times becomes overwhelming in life?
2) how has this value shift changed her purchasing habits as well (to maintain the uncluttered life)?
3) what do her decedents think about this?

Have a great weekend peeps!

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Thankful....what does it mean to you?

12/21/2019

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If you are like me, you have phases in your life that trigger reflection on the life you are choosing to live. You have highs where you are overjoyed & lows when you are a muddle of mush. Sometimes I wish I could shave off those highs & lows, be more 'average', but then I remember, that is what makes me me.
And for those of you that know me, you know I love hard, which lends itself to my peaks & valleys.

In the rat race of the holiday & the ending of another university semester for break & as we march into a new decade, I have caught myself reflecting more than usual.
Is anyone else doing this as well?
From career, to family, to home, to my dreams, they have all been considered in the last 10 days.
I am thankful for (in no particular order)

laughter
books
my tribe
those that inspire me (from my students-current & past- to Betty Rocker, to Naomi to those I have yet to meet)
my communities (Volga, Strawberry Point, school districts & universities, travelers)
memories
lines (from laughter)
imagination
empathy
analysis
dreams

Whatever drives you, feeds your soul, and makes you excited for each day.....reflection helps you remember what that is.
If you are like me, remember to refocus your view to keep your 'thankfuls' centered in the cross hairs of your lens of life.
Happy New Year's Day peeps.

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Community, Collaboration, Learning.

11/15/2019

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Zwanziger Realty was fortunate enough to host a booth at the Northeast Iowa Family STEM Festival in Elkader this fall. We hosted a booth in collaboration with MSA Professional Services (civil engineering firm). And boy, did we have a blast!
Kids had 5 minutes to construct the tallest possible structure they could. 20 pieces of paper and their creativity were materials available (that is right, no take, staplers or scissors!). The winning structure was 42" tall.

Statistics for the Northeast Iowa Family STEM Festival in Elkader!

Attendance - 257
Exhibitors - 22
11 school districts represented
24 different communities

Below are a few comments from attendees;

I really loved this event thanks so much (Student)
Awesome!! (Student)
Was great fun. Many great learning experiences for kids (Adult)
Cool event for families (Adult)
Learned a lot (Adult)

Below is a link to the STEM festival report & a few pictures of our booth during the event.
Stay curious and keep exploring. Knowledge ROCKS!

thankyouforexhibitingatthestemfestivalinelkader.zip
File Size:	11572 kb
File Type:	zip

Download File

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Ways Your Home Can Take Care of You in Your Senior Years

11/11/2019

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It’s an unfortunate reality that many seniors fear their twilight years. With the absence of a steady income, the state of one’s finances will inevitably take center stage. Perhaps an older adult just doesn’t have enough saved and invested for retirement income, or maybe her or she is just worried that a fixed income is not adequate for late-life healthcare. Legitimate concerns, yes, but thankfully, they are not as dire as they seem.
The fact is this fear is quite overblown. While the unavailability of a steady income might seem alarming, there are some positive changes, too, such as a lower income tax. Not only that, but downsizing will also ensure that you are able to live on less, comfortably. Best and most important of all, you can actually leverage your existing assets to work and provide for you — most specifically, your home. So, consider turning it into one of the following.

Ticket to a New Life
No doubt, the best possible way to get the most ROI on your property is by selling it. It could even be as straightforward as selling your old home and using the proceeds to buy a smaller and more accessible one or move into an assisted living facility, as well as have enough left over to cover your care and living costs.
Of course, this is an ideal world scenario, and reality requires more due diligence and consideration. At the most basic level, you will need to get to know the real estate market and find out what your home will realistically go for, as well as how much your potential new residence will set you back. Needless to say, it’s crucial to have a budget and really stick to it, so you can stay on track and choose a home you can afford.

Family Heirloom
At the same time that you want to take care of yourself during your golden years, you may also want to continue looking after your family. This is why many seniors choose to pass on the family home to their children. The sentiment is also another reason: The family home should be kept in the family. Lastly, there’s also the opportunity to relieve yourself of a sizeable tax burden.
Despite the upsides, it does come with caveats, many of which are not at all judicious. For one thing, gifting your home may make you ineligible for benefits such as Medicaid. For another, you may inadvertently pass on a number of tax consequences to your kids. Luckily, there are ways to avoid the tax implications, so make sure to do your research before going down this route.

Source of Income
Your home is probably the most significant investment you’ve made during your life, so it does make sense to get your returns at this point in time when you are in need of them. A great way to do so is to rent it out, making it a steady source of income that you can rely on to cover your healthcare and living costs, as well as any expenses associated with the house, such as property taxes and mortgage payments. This also gives your property room to appreciate further, as well, which you can choose to leverage later.
However, the downside is that this comes with a great deal of responsibility, which you may not be up for at this stage in your life. This includes vetting and dealing with tenants, concerning yourself with maintenance, and keeping up with payments.
An even bigger concern is being sure that what you’re earning from the rental and/or your fixed income is enough for the cost of moving into an adequate and senior-accessible home for you. So, not only do you have to consider your care and living expenses, but you also have to think about down payments and the like. It’s a good idea, therefore, to know what you’re up against as a whole, as well as what’s expected of you, before you choose this option.
At the end of the day, living your twilight years comfortably and safely relies on the smart decisions that you make moving forward. Downsizing your home may just be the first step, but it’s the most important one you’re likely to make.

Thanks to Jim Vogel at Elderaction.org. He can be reached at: jim@elderaction.org

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holidays .....what is your favorite thing?

11/2/2019

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The smell of mulled cider.
The bite of cold on the tip of your nose.
The crunch of the snow under your boots.
The sound of the Messiah & Mannheim Steamroller.
The glow of the tree.

I love it all. Except for some of the crazy that leads up to it. More get togethers, kids concerts, shopping for gifts.

So what can you do to enjoy the time and be PRESENT, like really PRESENT for it (emotionally connected too)?

I know the shorter days do not play in my favor either. Coupled with grading and submitting finals, the holidays have the potential to be become one of my least favorite times of the year.

About a year ago (when I tried Project 333), I started following Courtney with BeMOREwithLess.
Somehow her weekly emails arriving on Friday morning reminds me to chill, which for this time of year is needed.

Statistically, anxiety is heightened and leads to stress, overspending, and weight gain all happen around the holidays.
So BEFORE the crazy starts, what can you do to counter these things from hitting you this holiday season?

KNOW where your anxiety comes from. The three top sources are:

Gifts--both having to buy them and also pretending you be excited when you receive them. I found this awesome 'gift certificate' to let you 'opt-out' of giving and receiving gifts. I LOVE IT!! Another example, my brother & his wife and myself & husband have agreed to only get gifts for each others kids, not each other. Its our 3rd year of going this & it works great for us.
Exceptations - this is usually self-inflicted by what we think others expect of us. Be proactive and talk to your family & friends about what the holiday should really be about ahead of time.
Overwhelmed with too much to do -- YES and NO are both acceptable answers. In case you are wondering, that is why you don't get Holiday cards from me anymore....my sanity thanks you.