Adventures in Tidying and Beyond

A Summer Invitation to Create Joy

As June wraps up, we’re closing out Adventure Month in KonMari Club—and one powerful truth has come into focus:

Adventure isn’t something we wait for. It’s something we create.

It doesn’t always look like plane tickets and passport stamps. Sometimes, it’s a simple walk around the block. Sometimes, it’s saying “yes” to a picnic in the backyard, a night under the stars, or a Saturday morning spent exploring the park down the road with fresh eyes.

And sometimes, it is a bigger trip 😃. This month, I planned a family vacation around my teenage daughter’s summer Design Camp at the University of Arkansas—and what unfolded became a joy-filled, soul-stretching adventure and a (mostly) relaxing good time.

We met up with my best friend from Colorado and spent two nights camping at Beaver Lake. The first night, we went to bed as lightning lit the sky from afar. The storm swept in mid-night, shaking our tent so fiercely it would have ripped the rainfly right off had we not grabbed hold of it for the entirety of the 30 mph+ wind gusts that swept through the area for the better part of an hour. Water drizzled in. For a moment, I panicked—but then I remembered something that’s helped me through many storms, both literal and emotional:

This is part of the adventure.

Everything dried out—even the one kid woke up the next morning still soaked from the storm. No one was hurt (thankfully!!). And the memory of that wild night now holds a kind of magic we wouldn’t trade.

The Magic in the Moments

We experienced so many other bright, beautiful moments in Northwest Arkansas. We shared delicious crepes with an enthusiastic tidying client of mine in Fayetteville. Then, paying a spontaneous visit to Wilson Park on my client’s recommendation, we discovered a baby turtle in the creek and scurried up a massive, state-champion Dawn Redwood tree. Yes, even my scared-of-heights boy, who bravely climbed his way high off the ground! We were proud of him and he was proud of himself.

We spent a day at Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge, where lions, tigers, and bears (truly!) are cared for with compassion and dignity after lives in captivity. And one of the highlights was standing in awe inside the breathtaking Thorncrown Chapel. Designed by Fay Jones, who trained under Frank Lloyd Wright, the chapel felt like a poem in wood and glass—a fitting stop while our daughter studied architecture just down the road at the Fay Jones School of Design.

Each of these experiences reminded me that adventure doesn’t just happen—it’s shaped by intention. For me, that intention often takes a little work. I’m not someone for whom spontaneity comes naturally. I’ve learned (through trial, error, and a few cranky road trip mornings) that even a little pre-planning goes a long way toward creating the outcomes I hope for: joy, connection, surprise, and delight.

The Adventure of Tidying

This idea—that intention creates adventure—is something I live and breathe in my work as well.

Because believe it or not, tidying is an adventure too.

Every client I work with is stepping into the unknown. They face emotional storms: confronting years of accumulation, surfacing long-buried memories, and navigating the discomfort that comes when clutter is stirred up before it settles down. It’s vulnerable work. Courageous work.

But with loving support and expert guidance, those storms begin to pass.

By the end of a tidying session, my car is packed with donations, their space is visibly transformed, and the emotional weight they’ve been carrying lifts. My clients breathe easier, stand taller, and see possibility where there was once overwhelm. The adventure may have been messy at times—but the outcome? It’s always worth it.

Your Summer Invitation

As I write this, I’m preparing to book a flight to Jamaica for another future adventure in paradise. But as much as I love a getaway, what excites me most is helping people see that adventure is available right where they are—in the way they live, the way they love, and yes, in the way they tidy.

If you’re feeling the call to create a little adventure in your own space, I invite you to start now. Take the first step. Book your free consultation. Let’s create some joy—and a little magic—together.

With love and adventure,
Lisa Jean
Master KonMari Consultant | Tidy Upgrade Home Therapy