Sorting Through Life

On this episode of Sorting Through Life, Colleen talks with Katie, a Space by Space Organizing client, about storage units, life transitions, and how our belongings help us move, or often hold us back, through the chapters of our lives.

After a difficult move left Katie’s storage unit packed and disorganized, Colleen helped her sort, organize, and take stock of what she owned. The process helped Katie make more intentional decisions about what was worth keeping for the next chapter.

Colleen is grateful to have clients like Katie share their stories on the show and to be trusted with the personal spaces and life transitions that come with the work.

From plastic film and textiles to batteries and light bulbs, they explore the surprising afterlife of everyday things, even the things we consider trash, and the possibilities for what our stuff can become when we’re done with it.

The conversation also goes beyond the recycling bin. Colleen explores the connection between our growing clutter problem and our consumption habits, and how organizing what we already own can help us buy less, avoid duplicates, and make more intentional choices about what comes into our homes.

In this heartfelt episode of Sorting Through Life, Colleen sits down with her dear friend Mary, an 88-year-old community builder and lifelong source of wisdom. Together, they explore the realities of aging—from retirement, medical challenges, and physical limitations to falls, loneliness, and the difficult process of letting go of a longtime home.

Mary speaks candidly about learning to tell the truth about what she needs, asking her family for help, and finding new ways to stay connected with grandchildren, friends, and community. She also shares the emotional weight of watching longtime friends and family members decline and die, and the exhaustion that comes with repeatedly saying goodbye.

Through it all, Mary returns to the values that continue to sustain her: listening deeply, caring for others, bringing humor to hard moments, and intentionally choosing joy. This is an honest and uplifting conversation about vulnerability, resilience, intergenerational friendship, and finding meaning in every season of life.

On this episode of Sorting Through Life with Colleen Waterston, Colleen and Space by Space Organizing team member Tiffany talk about what it means to leave a legacy, not a burden.

As we age, planning ahead can make difficult transitions easier for everyone. We discuss how to start the conversations around aging, belongings, downsizing, and planning before a crisis happens, and how families can begin talking about what matters most.

Legacy Lifting is a Space by Space Organizing service offering designed specifically for seniors, created to help people make intentional decisions about their belongings while they’re still able to speak for their stuff and their wishes.

Because one day, you won’t be here to speak for your stuff. What do you want it to say?

Colleen and Alicia sit down for an intimate chat with their client-turned-friend, Natalie. They dive deep into Natalie’s tough emotional journey of clearing out her childhood home after the sudden passing of her dad and her own recovery from a traumatic brain injury. It’s a beautifully conversation about navigating heavy grief, letting go of guilt, and discovering how a little organizational help can be a massive step toward healing.

In this episode of Sorting Through Life with Colleen Waterston, we go beyond organizing your home and explore the full journey of your belongings. From understanding why we accumulate so much clutter in the first place to making thoughtful decisions about what leaves our homes, this conversation offers practical advice for anyone trying to simplify their space.

As the founder of Space by Space Organizing, a Twin Cities home organizing business, Colleen and her team share how they help clients responsibly donate, recycle, and resell items instead of sending everything to the landfill. Learn about organizations throughout the Minneapolis–St. Paul area that keep clothing, household goods, electronics, and other items in circulation while giving back to people who need them most.

In this special episode of Sorting Through Life with Colleen Waterston, Colleen is joined by the people helping bring Space by Space Organizing to life every day: organizer Alicia, marketing and communications specialist Tiffany, and Colleen’s new assistant, Cortney.

Together, they take a look at the past, present, and future of Space by Space. Colleen shares how the business began, the lessons she’s learned along the way, memorable organizing experiences, and her vision for what’s next. The team also asks the questions clients and listeners have always wanted answered, from common organizing challenges and surprising finds to what it’s really like to work inside people’s homes.

Sorting Through Life with Colleen Waterston is brought to you by Space by Space Organizing, helping people declutter their lives, one space at a time.  

In Episode 30 of Sorting Through Life, Colleen Waterston is joined by fellow Space by Space Organizing team member Alicia and client Maddii to share the story behind a remarkable home transformation.

During a difficult pregnancy, Maddii found herself overwhelmed by clutter and struggling to keep her home functioning. The experience became a turning point, inspiring an intervention on lifelong tendencies toward clutter. When a family member connected Maddii with Space By Space, it became the first step toward creating a home that felt manageable again.

In this candid conversation, Colleen and Alicia walk through the organizing process from reworking Maddii’s closet (and her many variations of loungewear) to creating practical zones and systems throughout every space in her home.

What happens to your belongings after you’re gone? In this episode of Sorting Through Life, Colleen Waterston sits down with estate attorney, Rachel Schromen, to discuss how planning ahead can protect your legacy and make life easier for the people you love.

The conversation explores why it’s important to talk with your family about which belongings hold sentimental value to them because the items they treasure may not be the ones you expect. From deciding who receives meaningful keepsakes to understanding wills, charitable giving, and estate planning basics, this episode offers practical guidance for preparing for the future.

Colleen sits down with resilience strategist Julie Martella from Navigating Widowhood to tackle the overwhelming process of sorting through a loved one’s belongings after a loss. We explore the profound connection between physical clutter and the grieving brain, offering gentle ways to build a personal support team that can actually help lighten the load. Whether you are navigating a heartbreaking loss yourself or simply looking to support a grieving friend, you’ll walk away with actionable, compassionate strategies to honor the past while making space for the future.