Just wanted to post a quick update because I may not be around for a little while. My town was devasted by a tornado yesterday. My husband and I are fine, we were lucky and it missed our apartment by a couple miles. Power is still out and the town is a complete mess. Cell service and internet is not really working. I managed to get out of town to take care of a few things and I'm sitting in a place with wifi and charging up my phone.

If there's anybody else in the Midwest I hope you're safe!

Good morning :)
Got the cats all fed and did some daily type tidying up maintenance.
Now the whole day is all mine to do with as I please. :D
Planning to clean my little room. Dust & vacuum.
This tiny room is where I keep all my personal possessions and linens, since this house has no linen closet.
My doll house is in there. All my clothes, craft items, movies & music.
This was the last room in the house that I dehoarded and took away from my hoarder. It was the worst as far as stuff being so solidly packed high and with massive hanging drapes of cobwebs, also had a lot of damage to the ceiling and walls.
Was a lot of fun getting in there fixing and painting and putting down a new carpet scrap.
Now the only hoarded squalor room in this house is his bedroom.
It took a long time to get this house back to how it should be all by my self and teaching my hoarder that these are "No Clutter Zones".
He now knows to never leave any stuff just laying around in here. :D

Thanks guys! The funny thing is that when I sit down and I'm determined and trying to keep a clear head, a lot of the stuff I keep is obvious trash. Just have to put in the time and try not to get emotional as I go.

I think the craft bag idea is wonderful, by the way!

Karl, I really hope that room works out for you! I'm sure that would take a good deal of stress off of your shoulders.

Today I'm going to pick at the closet some more before work. I'm off tomorrow so I'll have more time then to do things like laundry.

WAY TO GO!!! Jess :D

I did it I did it I did it! The wicked churning bag is DEAD! Haha!

Also, my husband texted me a picture of something he just bought online -- it's a mail organizer! We agreed to put an honest effort into either putting incoming mail into the slots or discarding immediately. The slots are not very big so we would have to deal with it at least on a weekly basis. Keeping mail is one of my top issues.

Happy birthday Diane! We are only just getting to know each other but I've been thinking about you knowing that you're birthday was coming up and I wanted to wish you a very happy one ((lots of hugs!)) I look forward to chatting with you more in the future!

You guys are just so wonderfully encouraging :) Today I'm tackling the dreaded churning bag -- a trashbag I filled with a bunch of stuff littering my kitchen table months ago when someone came to visit. It has moved from closet to closet and must be dealt with. Chugging along!

Hi Tillie, 6pm tonight would be great, I look forward to having a private conversation, sorry, didn't see your message until today. The new dentist never called, just spoke to friend that lives by his office and asked her to drive by and see if there is a sign in office saying 'on vacation'.Thanks for birthday wishes, it is amazing to be 65 and still be a hoarder.
Today is cold and windy, a warm soup day. Have no plans today. Still can't chew or tooth really aches, so just drink today. Started cleaning up living room yesterday, still needs more work. Messed up some of the stuff I had organized, so would like to get that organized today.
I realized the roof I stepped though is where the loft is with all the Christmas stuff, that I have not wanted to get down, that is the motivation I need. Plan to haul that down and take to thrift store if it will fit in car, if too much will call for pickup.

Good morning Dianne :)
Great plan.
Warm soup and resting in bed.
Take care & feel better soon.
(((hugs)))

Good morning :)

Cloudy, cold and damp here today.
Good day to stay in and watch Netflix.
Thinking about making ginger bread with lemon sauce.
Need to find out what his plans are......
He just said he wants to go to the store. :(
OK, I have my grocery list and coupons already anyways.
One of the things I hate the most is shopping at this time of year.
I try to stock up before hand to avoid having to enter any store.
But some foods don't keep long enough to stock up on them.
It's the big pushy crowds, holiday displays and music that I find very upsetting and depressing.
Well, anyways....
I can get enough food today to last till at least after thanksgiving is over with.
Wish I could have one of those food home delivery services just drop off what I need. :D

What are you all up to today? :)

Good link. ;)

simple living manifesto

Hi Diane :)
I should be available tonight to chat about 6:00pm PST.
Or Saturday about 6:00pm PST.
Let me know about what time would be good for you. :D

my dentist charges too much so called a dentist in another town, waiting for him to call back, much more reasonable prices.'
Pain is a problem.
Friend brought dog by this morning to dogsit. I didn't hear her so she came through fence to front door and saw some junk on deck. I was so embarrassed, I cried, and realized I need help cleaning things and maintaining things.
Yes Tillie, I do have too much stuff, and need to make some decisions on craft stuff to let go. Being brutally honest is not easy when it comes to craft stuff, easier to get rid of friends, how sad is that. Thanks for your support Tillie. I really appreciate all that you do. Is there a time we could meet in chat room this weekend? I would like to chat with you about a few hoarding issues, and turning 65 tomorrow. I will check back to see if you have a time to chat privately.
Sure hope this dentist calls soon, really would like to see him today. Supposed to snow all weekend, would be difficult to drive all the way out there after it snows. It is getting more cloudy. I finally took OTC pain pill, getting less painful now.
Did some dishes, now will finish them.

Good morning :)

Hi Diane :)
While gathering up and organizing all the new craft items, think about all the hours of fun they will provide.
Do you have enough to fill all your free time?
With crafts, we tend to gather so many that we would never be able to find the time to complete them all.
Buying the materials needed to make them is often all we tend to do. That is the good feeling, the "high of the buy".
When decluttering older craft project supplies the important question to ask yourself is "will I really ever do this?" Be brutally honest with yourself when you answer.
For me, myself, I know that if there is too much to choose from I tend to never decide and nothing ever gets accomplished.
(((hugs)))

Hi Jess :)
A small short list of do-able tasks helps to keep us from becoming overwhelmed and not getting anything accomplished.
It takes time to declutter and organize.
Every small task is a great accomplishment and soon all the tiny cleared and cleaned areas start to connect together into one huge project completed! :D

Hi Roxie :)
It's not really energy that gets this work done. Really, I have very little energy.
It's motivation that moves me along.
I want this cleaning done for ME. Nobody else, just me. No reason other than that I want to live in a clean home. I know if I get it all done I will be able to slack off and do very little cleaning for a long time by just doing the little bit of daily/weekly maintenance and never neglecting any messes. ;D

Hi Karl :)
A lead on a place to rent is GREAT news!
I am getting anxious and worrying about your situation.
Do you have any boxes to pack your stuff in?
Grocery stores are a great place to find free boxes.
I have heard that liquor stores have even better stronger boxes that are a smaller better size so they don't get too heavy.
What about a storage locker?
For your peace of mind start looking for one that has security features like an onsite caretaker and code access gate with security cameras.

Hi Dianne :)
Thank you :D
Just reading your To-Do list made me tired. LOL
So wonderful that you and Laura are getting things all ready to donate to great causes! :D
(((HUGS)))

Today my plan is to take it easy and just catch up on a few things around here.
I am tired and sore and full of ibuprofen.
Looking forward to all the free time I will have to work on sewing projects all winter long. :D
Have about 2 bags of stuff to drop off at the thrift shop. Nice stuff too but I decided that I am tired of dusting/cleaning it. ;P

Been a long week, TGIF! :)

I worked for a good long while on my closet today and got through 2 bags and a box. Part of me knows I should recognize the positive move foward but the other part wants to rip my hair out over how small of a dent it made in the giant problem. It's so hard to ignore that part!

At least I know that I'm closer to having a walk-in closet that I can actually walk into. One step at a time, right?

Good morning everyone ((hugs))

I failed to meet my goals yesterday so I did them this morning. I also did an extra bag from the closet (still baby steps) and unpacked my bag from my little trip. I'm bad about that usually.

Last night my husband confronted me about school since he could tell my anxiety was getting bad and I had stopped talking about it. He started with trying to motivate me, "Why don't you go hammer out those assignments right now, don't overthink it just get it done. You can do this." That kind of thing. I just broke down in tears and told him I've already dug myself a hole with late assignments and that's what initially got me to seek a therapist. I've been trying to finish my BA on and off since 2004. I've tried and tried to do this on my own and now I have admitted to having a serious problem.

He just held me and listened and was so incredible. I have always put crushing pressure on myself but since we got married I've crippled myself thinking about how my acitons are affecting him and his future too. But he said we'll be fine and he just wants me to be happy. Understands I need this therapy and is proud of me for seeking it. Can you imagine? I had only let myself picture the disappointment he would probably feel. I feel such a huge weight lifted. I know this will still be a long road but now it's really out in the open and that is such a relief. Today I'm very grateful.

I've got a million things I want to accomplish before work today so I'm trying to pick some realistic things instead of freezing up and getting nothing else done. Best of luck to everyone on a productive and healthy day!

I am grateful to get a hug from tillie this morning. I am grateful you posted Dianne, your kindness and understanding and willingness to be honest and to keep making progress. We are like alcoholics hanging out at bars when we go to stores and thrift stores!!!!!!!
My living room isn't very "liveable". I have lots of craft piles out here that need to go home to their own room. Dianne, I am with you, will spend an hour on paper pile today. So happy we are not shopping today, instead taking care of business at home.
Great to hear from all of you on your progress and thoughts.

Good morning :)
The cats are eating their breakfast while I drink my tea and read the messageboard.

Hi Dianne :)
(((hugs)))

Hi Jess :)
(((hugs)))

Hi Diane :)
(((hugs)))

Hi Karl :)
(((hugs)))

(((hugs))) to everybody else too. :)

Friday I cleaned the walls, ceiling, light fixture, cupboards and all stuff in the kitchen.
Monday I did the same cleaning in the diningroon area all except I did not wash the ceiling in there, just swept it.
Tuesday I cleaned half of the livingroon area totally.
Wednesday I did the other half.
Today, Thursday my plan is to clean the walls, ceiling and every bit of the bathroom and this other small area we have.
This area is just off the livingroom, leads to the bathroom and to the back door.
This is where the water heater lives and there is also room to store my vacuum, broom & dust pan, kitty litter and hang some other cleaning tools.
Next week I will do this major "Fall Scrub" in my little room and then in the pantry.
Feels so good to get this done. Moving at my own pace, no rush.
Now that the other areas are completed I feel very motivated to finish up.
Then with the general daily/weekly maintenance and never neglecting a mess, the house will stay nice till at least May. :D

It was sunny all day today, so great, enjoyed working on roof today. It was funny when I stepped on a section and my foot went through it!! It is the roof on the little room added to garage ages ago, before I bought this place, it definitely needs to be totally replaced, maybe in the spring. I spread more pine needles on the weed fabric. Caulked around living room windows. Brought fire wood in, just started a fire, it is so cold in here, 40 degrees outside now. I now have a toothache in the tooth next to the one I had pulled last month, oh brother, how do I feel grateful about this?
Will finish dishes tonight. Molly did not pee or throw up in here today, a first in weeks. Her rib bones are sticking out, she is still eating normally but really skinny now.
Hope the shopping frenzy will leave all of us alone for awhile. Reading your frenzy Dianne, made me feel less alone, and realize how we must be honest and get support to stop shopping. It amazes me how it takes over my life, and that is all I want to do. Short days and several terrible things happened to me in the winter, and the loss of parents and brother in winter, holidays where others have family and friends, all have made me want to shop to avoid the sadness I feel every winter. I have to be vigilant to not get depressed.

Tillie, thanks so much for sharing your internal thoughts with us. Helpful to remember what gives us peace of mind.
Went to party yesterday and it was lots of fun. Wonderful women. Birthday is Saturday, so boss got us cupcakes and made me oatmeal chocolate chip cookies for Saturday, my favorite, so sweet. One gal gave me a nice birthday card. Also received a costco gift card as thank you for good work this season, as well as a Starbucks gift card, a bit much, and really appreciated the kindness. I was last to leave and boss asked some personal questions, I teared up about turning 65, she was kind, I was embarrassed and woke up with regrets. Slept very little last night, terrible stomach cramps, ate some things I am not used to, plus stress of so much interraction. Now I am focusing on the kindness and fun of party. This morning I watched you-tube videos on flat roof repair for one difficult leak I need to fix better. First sunny day in awhile, so will fix it. Most of day will be fun. I plan to focus on the things I am grateful for. I am grateful that I am in no pain today, grateful I got a few hours of sleep, grateful I am healthy and can patch roof. Grateful I got more pine needles yesterday from boss to spread on weed fabric in back yard. Grateful I felted a darling wool flower this morning. Grateful Molly is still alive. Grateful for this website and all the kindness and insight you share with me.

Beautiful reminder! :)

I did manage to throw away some candles, 5 total. I was upset with myself when I left because it was later than I had planned (of course) and was getting dark. By the time I got on the highway I had a bit of a meltdown because I realized I forgot my wedding rings. I talked myself through it. What is so bad about not having them for the weekend? What is the worst that will happen?

I started reading Buried in Treasures and it's really opening my eyes. The self-assessments are sometimes surprising but definitely helping me put things in perspective and helping me to be more honest with myself.

I'm still at my parents' house and I should get on the road soon. It's going to be evening by the time I get home so I'll make simple goals for today. 1) Reschedule an appt 2) Go through one bag in my closet

Have a great day everyone!

Seems that there has been a lot of impulse shopping & buying this month. :(
Is it the changing season? Less sunlight? More TV, radio, newspaper ads? Fancy store displays?
I sadly noticed that the xmas stuff was showing up in the stores even before Halloween.
Happiness and contentment must come from within our selves. It can not be bought.
What can you do today to find that inner peace?
I enjoy meditation. Taking stock of my life. Looking at the bigger picture. Seeing the creator's face in all of nature.
Maybe we should all stop and take a step back from our daily rat races and take the time to make a few changes.
Tune in, Turn on and Drop out.
Tune in to our inner voices and change any negative self talk into more positive talk.
Turn on to finding what will truly and more permanently make us more content.
Drop out of consumerism. Which is what we have been programmed from birth to buy into, the belief that we can buy happiness, love, social acceptance and success.

Love, Tillie

Thanks Dianne,
Everyone was very excited when we told them that we are trying to get pregnant; especially the guys... When we told the guys that we are trying to get pregnant, they were all like, "yay! We're going to get to have a kid hanging around the fire station with us!" Our baby hasn't even been conceived yet, and I'm already having a funny feeling that when he or she grows up, they will be a firefighter. Lol. :)

Hey Dianne,
Yeah ever since I moved in with my firefighter hunk, I haven't been as attached to all my electronic devices as I used to be. Don't worry though. I'm still going to post when I can. My firefighter hunk (I love saying that. LOL.) and I are actually trying to get pregnant. (Well he's trying to get me pregnant. He can't get pregnant because he's a dude. LOL.) :D

Thanks Tillie and Dianne and Roxie.
This morning I cleaned the chimney and did some other stuff outside, then wrapped present, and am now heading to party, no time to shop today!! Giving a gal a ride back to our town, so cant stop to shop to de stress after party. Deep breathe, I can do this.

Good morning everybody :)

Hi Jess :)
WAY TO GO! with using the vacuum! :D
Did you toss any of those old candles?

Hi MayMay :)
Happy to see you again. :D

Hi Karl :)
Enjoyed catching up with you in the chatroom last night. :D

Hi Diane :)
Have a wonderful time at the party. (((hugs)))

Hi Roxie :)
WAY TO GO! for getting the tidied up! :D

Yesterday I totally cleaned the diningroom area.
Washed the walls, washed the light fixture, washed & polished all the furniture, washed all the things I put back in there.
Today I am catching up on other stuff & giving myself a break.
My plan is to totally clean the livingroom tomorrow.
Today I am doing some laundry since the weather is nice enough to hang things out on the clothes line.

wow, I have missed out on all the great stuff posted here, I like Dianne, was off on a shopping spree, the high was great until I got home and had to deal with it. Two solid days of long hours of shopping. I think isolating after working around so many people the past 2 months, left me feeling lonely. Turning 65 this week and having only a few casual friends, no family, and no male love interest,, brought lots of feelings I did not want to feel, so went to craft fair, got ideas of things I could make and shopped non stop for 2 long days for things to make for non existent friends.
I am so grateful for chat last night, feel like shopping is not the answer.
This morning I washed all dishes, and there were lots. Cleaned inside of microwave.
Grateful for the work I did yesterday, an hour of scrubbing with pumice, removed several years of hard water ring in old toilet. Adjusted inside stuff so now doesn't continue to run after flushing. Tightened nut at shut off valve that was leaking. I smile every time I look at that clean toilet. I am so grateful you all post here, makes my aloneness less painful for sure.
Dianne, so happy you posted about the addictive high we get from shopping, it is so inviting when things are difficult, that quick happiness. With all the anger you had over repairs, it was a diversion, nice you are so honest. Today, I will continue working on kitchen to get it back to being useable so I can prepare healthier food this week. First will clear off counters, move paint cans out of kitchen, yes tillie they are still there. then if energy will work on clothes on dryer, clean, and piled there. Grateful I can see there is hope after shopping binge. Today, we are fogged in, grey, gloomy, great day to go shopping, but NO, will make it more cheery in here, and shower and curl hair, wrap gift for party tomorrow, and focus on all I have to be grateful for. Thanks to you all for continuing to battle this cunning hoarding disorder.

I like this website.

unf*** your habitat

Don't check it out if swearing upsets you.

Otherwise, it says the things that I would say and often do say to my hoarder. ;)

Hi everyone! :D

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. :(

I've been super busy lately. I can't believe it's almost thanksgiving. This year has gone by so fast. It feels like just yesterday I was preparing for the 2012 apocalypse; that never happened. lol. :)

Today I went to work; took Cory, Matt, and Snuggles for a walk in the park; and then went to the grocery store.

Okay, one more goal...

Since I posted about the old candles I have they have been bothering me. I just want to throw away a minimum of three candles. Knowing myself, I'll probably go through them all but I'm trying to encourage myself to take it slow.

Roxie -- I'll have to try that breathing technique. I almost always end up counting in repetition to soothe myself but sometimes I think that makes me anxious by itself. Always good to try out things that could help!

Dianne -- I definitely understand the high of the buy. I've always thought it was ironic that I love love love to buy organizational products. And office supplies!! Can't get enough. I too am a frequent cart-filler and then put-backer lol Whatever helps reel us in I suppose.

Tillie -- Your dusting tips inspired me to try out the new vacuum I finally decided to purchase. Over a year after our wedding shower where we received gift cards for such things. So yes, I was avoiding vacuuming because when I start I feel like I have to move all the furniture in every room but I managed to make a compromise. It bothered me but the important thing is that I got something done.

Karl -- I'd love to hear how the party went! :)

Today my goals are to put away the laundry I washed yesterday. My closet is a mess so I got stuck but I don't want to keep that clean laundry just sitting there. Realistically, I cannot clean the whole closet today the way I want to so I'm going to try to just refold the remaining dresser drawers I have and put the clothes there. For whatever doesn't fit I'll have to figure something out.

The other goal is to pack a bag to visit my parents and inlaws and get on the road at a decent hour. I'm awful at packing. I bring way too much stuff and get so anxious about forgetting something that I "need" that I end up stalling and leaving later than I should.

Good morning :)

Hi Karl :)
How did the party go? Hope you had a wonderful time. :D

Dianne, thank you :)
That's all I ask, is that you try. (((hugs)))

Sunday,
sitting here on the interwebs, drinking tea, thinking about making a big dish of macaroni and cheese today.
I could cut it up into meal size portions, wrap it and freeze it and have home made mac & cheese any time I got the craving for it.
My hoarder has Monday off work & will be here.
I have no hopes that he will do any thing so I won't be let down. ;)
I am planning to do a major cleaning of the house this week.
This means pulling all furniture away from walls,
dusting walls and vacuuming/washing the baseboards.
Washing all the furnishings with Murphy's oil soap, polishing the wood and washing all things that go back into the spaces.
Won't be hard or take forever.
These are my "no Clutter Zones". :D
I want to banish all the dust from Summer from my life this week.

Hope to "see" you ALL tonight in the new Sunday chat room. ;)

No progress on a new home yet.