Darlene was incredibly generous with her knowledge. Our time together was very helpful and got my kids’ clothes in order but beyond that, I’m now carrying forward everything I learned through the process into the organization of every other aspect of my life. Without a doubt, I will be making use of her services again in the future because I know I could learn so much more and simplicity is priceless.

Our family cannot begin to express how grateful we are for all your hard work unpacking & organizing our household. Your care & concern is so appreciated. You and your staff stepped up when I was unable to assist at all and did amazing work. We are eternally grateful that you were here to assist our family when unexpected circumstances arose.

Thank you so much.

Darlene is Wonder Woman!! 🤩 I broke my arm just before moving into our new home. Family and friends helped with the move but I still needed someone to organize, unpack, etc….. I called Darlene who came to the rescue!!! She is friendly, personable, professional and organized!! Made amazing suggestions for closets, drawers, etc….set up “systems” which I still maintain! I smile every time I open a closet or cupboard. 😊 She is the best!! I highly recommend!!!

I can’t say enough positive things about Darlene. On top of being the sweetest person you’ve ever met, she’s so incredibly talented at looking at a space and rethinking how it can fit together in a better, more organized way. She recently helped us organize a large storage room and a home office that we couldn’t even walk in anymore. Not only can we walk in them now, but they’re so well organized with storage solutions for the whole house, that it makes putting things away as we go a lot easier. The best part besides the end result, is that Darlene made what felt like an insurmountable task feel relatively easy. I highly recommend Darlene!

When I first received notice that I had to move (the landlord wanted his unit back), I didn’t really worry as I knew that I could track down 2 guys with pizza and beer and be done. Little did I know that I would run into an amazing personal organizer who would set me straight, help declutter and make my move painless. I do hate moving but not as much now.

Darlene was my first contact as I was shopping around, needing more security than the ‘beer-and-pizza-boys’ business model. I was struck by some things that I had not considered. As well, I was blown away by the options and possibilities that come with a professional organizer and transition specialist.

After meeting with Darlene, I realized I had found a jewel. Not only was she everything she had promised, but we also had a bunch of people in common from previous employers.

I was impressed. From organizing my kitchen, to helping sell off clothes that mysteriously shrank since I had them on last, Darlene was superb. There are not sufficient expletives (the good ones) that I could use to describe her service – attentive, polite, organized, considerate, and helpful with disposing of older clothes that had a warm spot in my heart. Darlene is also tied into a network that is as professional as she is, so all of my needs were covered by her service. Pictures hung, minor repairs completed, meal service, laundry, and groceries, you name it, she’s got someone…

It is with great respect that I offer this testimonial for a fantastic professional organizer. You won’t be disappointed, promise!

In early September, our 80-year-old mother found a one-bedroom apartment in a seniors’ building near the town where she grew up. She had been thinking about moving back to that area for a few years but had made no real preparations. Suddenly, the race was on to sell her house in North Bay, radically cull her possessions and organize a long-distance move – all in time for her November 1st move-in date. Mom was very intimidated by the magnitude of the task at hand.

We (her three sons) knew that mom (and we) needed the guidance and assistance of a pro. We had no experience with this kind of downsizing effort and we had limits on how much we could be involved in the process owing to various constraints in our own lives. We talked to Darlene, liked what we heard and encouraged mom to engage her. 

The move started to take shape as soon as she and mom started working together at the end of September. After a walk-through of mom’s house, Darlene was able to set priorities and sequence tasks. Within hours, she was advising us on how and when we could best help our mom, and coordinating with the other professionals (real estate agent, cleaners, movers) involved in the move.

Mom’s two-level, three-bedroom house was chock-full of furniture, artwork and other possessions that would not all fit in her small apartment. Therefore, the top priority was good decisions on what she should/could take with her. On her first visit, Darlene calmly assessed the situation, made recommendations and, through patient, empathetic, and persistent coaching over the course of her visits, she was able to persuade mom to follow most of them.

Darlene’s impartiality and willingness to take charge of difficult conversations and diplomatic demeanour forestalled almost certain conflict as mom’s sentimental attachments to possessions has been a source of family discord in the past. Despite her early intention of taking way too much stuff (much of it not suited to her new space) mom ended up at her new place right-sized.

In addition to decisions about what to keep, mom needed help figuring out what to do with everything that was not making the move. On this matter, Darlene’s knowledge, experience and connections were invaluable. She knew which items could be sold and the prices they’d fetch and which ones could be donated to charity. Once she and mom agreed on the pricing of an item to be sold, Darlene listed it on Marketplace, managed calls from potential buyers and arranged pick up times that worked with our schedule.

This work allowed mom and helpers to stay focused on packing and house showings, and generated quite a bit more money than would have otherwise been the case. Darlene also hauled many of the donation items to charities and arranged junk removal pick-ups for all the leftovers. 

On move-out day, Darlene came to the house and supervised the loading of the van. This allowed mom to leave North Bay a few days early in order to relax a little and prepare things on the other end. She also helped arrange to have fellow professional organizer on hand to help mom to quickly set up in her apartment.

In our introductory interview, Darlene said that downsizing engagements generally entailed 40% organizing, 40% counselling and 20% mediation work. Our work with her involved all of these, plus impeccable communications. Her clear vision and calm, gentle persistence – often in the face of indecisiveness, backsliding and pushback – guided mom from a state of near panic to sensible, workable decisions about nearly aspect of the move. Detailed and timely communication with us (detailed written debriefs after every visit) assured us that mom was in good hands and guided both our moving-related communications with mom and our labour when we were able to be on site. 

It is impossible to overstate the importance of Darlene’s services in making this major transition in my mom’s life a success. She guided us all through a daunting challenge with many potential pitfalls. Our mother is very grateful for all of her help and sees the entire engagement as excellent value for money. We are thrilled that everything got done fairly calmly despite the time pressure, and that mom seems to be happily settling into her new abode. 

Thank you, Darlene, for the amazing job you did helping us get our house organized and our yard sale happening, we couldn’t have done it without you!

James has filed for ‘adoption papers’ for you so you can come and live with us!! We sure could have had you with us for a month or two in the beginning.

Hello Darlene was recommended to us by our real estate agent. What a fabulous help she was. It is very difficult downsizing, leaving your cherished home with all of the memories and giving up many ‘things’ to move to a smaller place. We were also moving from North Bay, Ontario to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan! Darlene walked us through everything, did not hurry us or decide what should go or stay but was very patient, kind, and supportive. We could never have managed as well without her. I still hear her voice in my head sometimes and it helps me still to make decisions. For example, when we did arrive here and it was time to decorate for fall/Thanksgiving, I pulled out four totes from storage, put out my most favourite things, gave away, dropped off donations, etc. the rest. I put away one tote at the end of October. I plan to do the same with Christmas and Easter decorations! I know now exactly how much room I have and where everything will go. Darlene also organized and had a garage sale, took many trips with donations, and was a source of invaluable information. We appreciated her input so much. She became ‘family’ in a few short weeks. Darlene also sold online much of our furniture and other items. We would highly recommend her for anything you would want her to do. She is professional, excellent at whatever she does and can be trusted completely.

I am so happy Darlene visited my home to teach my family and I new ways to organize and to guide us through some decisions. We feel so much better in our more organized spaces. Thanks Darlene!

I highly recommend a consultation with Darlene. Let her walk you through her tried and true process of organizing, decluttering, and analyzing your habits in an affordable, friendly, and non-judgmental manner.

Darlene has been extremely helpful to me with organizing my home, something I’ve been avoiding for a long time because of the vastly different ideas my husband and I have about what and how much we store/keep in our home.  

This has been a huge learning experience for me and I am most grateful for Darlene’s wisdom and professionalism in this field…and especially how she does it with no judgement, combined with a firm resolve to get the job done with such kind, caring compassion.

I had no idea the depth of emotional attachments that are tied to what we hang on to. I am confident that I will soon have a home that is functional, safe and organized where both my husband and I can thrive, thanks to Darlene.

 I would never have believed it if someone had told me that we could do this online like this and have it be so successful! I could not wait to show you my pictures!

Thanks to Darlene we have a newly refreshed and inspiring office space that I love to spend time in.

My husband and I have a shared office space that just got out of control after I moved my work home this past spring. I was taking a course at the time and had to work at the dining room table as I could not concentrate amidst the clutter. We were both so busy running our businesses and transitioning to home that the thought of one more thing on our plate was just too overwhelming.

Thankfully, it didn’t scare Darlene.  She simply saw it as a challenge.

Through Darlene’s never-ending patience and guidance we have a beautiful, functional and organized space that inspires creativity. She not only walked us through letting go of unnecessary ‘stuff’ that was cluttering our office and our minds, but she also gave us new ways of organizing things that are important to us. Darlene has assisted us in creating new systems that will keep things running smoothly.

Darlene fully recognizes that purging is an emotional journey and was very sensitive in helping us go through the process at our own pace.

If you are looking at taking this journey for yourself and feel that you need a helping hand, I highly recommend Darlene at Hello Darlene. She is worth her weight in gold!

Our experience with Darlene has been magical. Our child with ASD can be a hoarder, but with Darlene’s acceptance, kindness and easy personality, he felt safe to be vulnerable. She gave him options that worked for how he functions, and motivated him in the best ways. He loves having her around and always stays on point with how she set him up for success. We are so thankful not only for how organized his room is, but for the calm it brings him, knowing a clutter free space where all of his super important-to-him moments were available on a whim. We cannot thank you enough for helping our young man evolve into the teen he truly wanted to be. Looking for all the reasons to work with you again!

“Are you overwhelmed by years of accumulated stuff, junk, memorabilia, or an overloaded workshop like me?  Well being discouraged about how to tackle this by myself, I decided to reach out to “Hello Darlene” AKA “Darlene Tripp”.  Take my word for this, it’s the best investment I’ve ever made. Darlene is such a professional, and very trustworthy.  She’s a very busy, qualified person so don’t hesitate to call her asap to book an interview.  If I ever need help again, she’s the girl I would call. 

It can be quite a daunting task leaving behind a family home of over 60 years…especially a home packed with as many items as memories.

From the outset, Hello Darlene was incredibly important in sorting items before 5 siblings got together to sort through the things they cherished and cleaning out cupboards, drawers, and closets. Every item was either sold for us by Darlene, or she arranged for items to be donated or discarded as required. She and her staff were worth every penny!

At times, the move of our mother to her new home was stressful. We are grateful to Darlene that the entire process went smoothly, thanks to her knowledge, professionalism, and incredible downsizing skills.

Darlene is a treasure trove of relevant knowledge for anybody navigating the intricacies of Legacy Planning. Her personable approach instills a strong sense of certainty and confidence through the process and the resources she provides are intuitive and easy to use. On top of the tremendous value she offers, she is a wonderfully kind and caring person with all the attributes of a true professional. Highly recommended!

Thank you for everything, Darlene!

Darlene is a wealth of knowledge for organizing your legacy. Her passion for others shows in the work she has put into her very easy to navigate ‘Legacy Organizer’ and into the time she takes with each client to explain the importance of each section, and answer any questions they might have. Everyone should have Darlene’s Legacy Organizer! With it, loved ones will have ease and confidence in finalizing affairs. I highly recommend Hello Darlene for all important Legacy work!

I am so grateful to have met Darlene. Organizing a legacy plan is challenging. It was something I had thought about doing but had never done it. In speaking with Darlene, I came to realize all the things that needed to be done to make sure that everything is in place for when the time eventually comes. Darlene’s insights and suggestions on how to go about doing this were tremendously helpful – the tips on how to have conversations with family, the binder – that walked me through all the information that is needed and how to organize it. Such an incredible resource – so well laid out and organized. With Darlene’s knowledge, caring and support I got it done. Thank you Darlene, you are an awesome legacy planning coach. Thank you.

There is nothing better, I believe, than to have the feeling of being organized, everything in place, a job well done, big job completed and completed well. A feeling of WOW…that is finally done. This feeling was exactly how I felt after my Legacy Plan consultation with Darlene.

The conversation during the two hours we spent together was so enriching and valuable and I learned so much during our conversation. We think we are fully prepared and when it comes down to chatting with someone ‘in the know’, you always learn something new. Yes, the binder is absolutely the way to go and I now have everything in place but the conversation that takes place is sort of the icing on the cake.

The Legacy Organizer has become the most important binder of information in our home – the table of contents “Estate Planning Tips and Considerations” covers every question you may have.

As Seniors, my wife and I started thinking about all of our legal documents when we pass such as our Will, POA, etc. We thought that everything was good, until we used the services of “Hello Darlene”. With Darlene‘s wealth of knowledge and organizational skills, we were able to cross all our ”T‘s”, and dot the ”I‘s”. We now have peace of mind knowing that those individuals responsible for taking care of our Estate will have an easy passage with no hurdles to overcome, thanks to “Hello Darlene”. Darlene was very helpful and informative and respectful of our personal information. Would highly recommend her services.

Her Legacy Organizer is so clever…would be great for any age. Would make a great Christmas or wedding shower gift! What a great way to simplify the process for your POA or Executor.

Recently, I have been thrown into the role of caregiver when I was not prepared for it. Darlene put together a comprehensive Senior Transition Organizer with all the information I needed in one place to be able to reach out to the many community organizations and businesses that are able to support me in this role – from meal preparation to housing options. The resources even included a section on bringing together important financial and non-financial records. After meeting with Darlene and reviewing the information she provided, I feel ready to meet the challenges ahead. Thank you Darlene!

I wanted to take this time and opportunity to say a huge ‘Thank You’ to Hello Darlene.

There are times in our lives when we know there are things we need to do but always seem to put them off… place them aside and say to ourselves…“I will get to it later”.

Three+ years  ago my mother fell ill and all of our attention was on her health. One of our family members reached out to us and told us about “Hello Darlene” and her Legacy Binder. 

We connected with Darlene and we had the Hello Darlene Legacy binder sent to us. When we received it, it was all so overwhelming but during our consultation with Darlene, she walked us through each section and gave us a little more comfort in tackling the binder as a family.

Then my mother started to get better so we put it aside thinking we had now been given some time and thought, we will get to the binder down the road. Out of sight-out of mind.

When my mother passed, it was devastating.  We thought we had all this time and that was not the way it ended up. With my father inconsolable and my siblings dealing with our mother’s passing in different ways,  I realized that it was up to me to try and hold us together and work through this binder with our family as best we could.

Darlene was amazing and she guided us through the tough stages of grief, sadness and of course, the Legacy Binder.  I have to say that if it wasn’t for the Legacy Binder (a lifesaver), we would have been lost in all that needs to be done when one passes and the family is left behind to complete all the necessary and timely government responsibilities, as well as the personal steps needed by the family members.

Just wanted to send you a Big Thank You for sending me both the “Move-in Checklist” & the “Home Binder”. The checklist was awesome, you didn’t miss anything. I was surprised as to the detail. I would not have thought about getting a fire extinguisher. The toolbox will need some work but it sure covered all the basics.

I recently purchased the home binder as I am moving into my first house next month and it is such a time saver. Friends and family have been creating mini lists of things to do and my MIL has been gathering paperwork. She mentioned how I should create a binder and I said I actually just bought one all done for me and she was like.. does it include this? Yes. This? yes. This? yes. Oh well I guess it is done for you. Removes the stress, gets me excited and I feel prepared and energized to start checking things off and adding documents.

I’ve started to look through “The Home Binder” and it’s going to need me setting time in my schedule to concentrate on each section. It’s nice to have all this important information in one spot.

House maintenance is very helpful as well.  I’ve never had an emergency plan but it make sense as I’m sitting here watch Hurricane Ida make landfall.  The changes in climate today makes you see that any kind of emergency can happen.

So I will cherish this binder going forward.

I recently bought my first home and received the Hello Darlene Home Organizer binder as a housewarming gift.  I was delighted when I opened it and saw how simple it was to use.  Instead of worrying about how I was going to organize my bills, I could focus on moving into my home. The Move-In checklist was an extra added bonus. Now I am actually looking forward to having an organized home and enjoying the biggest purchase of my life and the years to come in my own home. Thanks, Hello Darlene.

When our mom, who was living with late-stage dementia, was in the hospital waiting for a room in a long-term care home, we hired Darlene to spend a couple of hours a week with her. Mom was confused and depressed, and we felt guilty that our busy lives did not allow us to spend as much time with her as we would have liked.

Mom looked forward to visits with her “Tuesday Friend” and when she moved to Water’s Edge Care Community, Darlene continued her weekly visits. They made butterflies to decorate her room, created greeting cards, dressed paper dolls, listened to old country music, read books together, painted mom’s nails, went for walks, picked lilacs, sat in the garden, and many more meaningful activities that were so special for mom. Darlene gave us reports each week about their adventures, and any observations she made about changes in mom’s emotional and physical condition.

In addition to spending time with mom, Darlene was a valuable resource for our family, helping us to understand mom’s dementia journey, and advocate for her care. We are very thankful for Darlene’s guidance, knowledge and expertise. We know she truly cared about mom.

Darlene provided valuable services that improved mom’s quality of life significantly. We highly recommend Darlene to any family that is looking for someone to give their loved one some extra special attention and meaningful engagement.

I have had the pleasure of working with Darlene, as she has been a Companion for one of my patients since January 2022. Darlene offers person-centered care in a professional manner, is compassionate, and has developed a warm and engaging therapeutic rapport with this patient. Darlene is kindly in her demeanour, respectful, enthusiastic, and continually seeking pleasurable ways to engage and stimulate her client. Darlene is a strong advocate and has the gift to follow the individual’s lead while gently offering new and wonderful opportunities for meaningful engagement. My patient looks forward to her visits with Darlene, and is often waiting at the entrance door as she knows she will have a splendid time creating cherished memories with her Companion.

 Darlene is reliable, organized, shows initiative, and demonstrates a “can do” attitude. Darlene is conscientious and cares deeply for the well-being of her client. I highly recommend Darlene in supporting seniors and their families in our community.