Ep 85: Moving with Kids the Happy Way with Ali Wenzke

No matter how many times you move, there are always boxes to be filled, things to declutter, and a new home to organize on the other end. I’ve moved over 20 times in my life and while I am pretty skilled at it, moving with a school-aged child made me understand that my most recent move was going to be different.

So I called in an expert to help me along the way. Ali Wenzke is the author of The Art of Happy Moving: How to Declutter, Pack, and Start Over While Maintaining Your Sanity and Finding Happiness and a real estate broker with Baird & Warner in Winnetka, IL. Ali and her husband moved ten times in eleven years, living in six U.S. states.

Known as the “Marie Kondo of moving", Ali’s advice has been featured on TV, radio, and podcasts as well as in Forbes, U.S. News & World Report, Today.com, Real Simple, Fast Company, Parents magazine and many more. Ali is happily settled in the Chicago suburbs with her husband and three kids and for now doesn't plan on moving any time soon.

Our discussions starts with the move that lead Ali to buckle down and declutter and I push her to give us her best tips on moving with children, what to do when other family members don't share your same vision, and what to do when you get into your new home.

Yes, moving can be stressful, but it doesn’t have to be. In fact, it can be a time of rejuvenation and reinvention of one’s self. And even if you have no plans to move, you can learn to declutter like you are moving and enjoy the benefits of a lighter home.

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