Sheryl,
I love the stairs photo and the MLK quote. Very inspriational and so true. Each and everyone of us face things in life and we cannot be afraid to move forward. We all get overwhelmed and both of your posts are great motivation that we can succeed if we don't give up. Thank you!

Sorry guys, it has been a busy week. MayMay, congratulations on being the boss on the upcoming cleanup! You can totally do this, but remember this is their house and their stuff so keeping them sane through it all will be your biggest task. Mentally this is straining on everyone involved and while you are physically exhausted from the work, you have to keep you keep yourself in check. You will have a lot of support from everyone there to help including your aunt and uncle, but keep their parents anxiety, fear and stress in check throughout the entire cleanup effort or all work will be shut down quickly. Anyone can pick up a box and carry it outside to an awaiting dumpster. But not many people can get the hoarder to allow you to carry the box outside. Cleaning a hoarders home is like a chess game. Anticipate the hoarders responses and reactions before you even get there and have a plan, a back up plan, and another back up plan. Typically they will manipulate the truth and procrastinate so pushing them and challenging them on their normal decisions will be the only way to change their living conditions, but it will become stressful. Have reasons why things need to go. Have options for where the items will go. If it is something that can be donated, let them know it will be going to a needy family to be used and enjoyed by those less fortunate. If it can be recycled, then do it. Let them know they are saving the environmet. Do whatever you can to allow them to feel good about letting go. Then find their motivation. What is their reward for emptying out their home. Build them a room where thy can do something they are passionate about. Fix up the dining room, living room and/or kitchen so family can come over again and spend time together. Pull out any motivational factors you can to give them something that will make them happy, return passion into their lives so they can find happiness and joy in other ways than aquiring needless "stuff". Best of luck to you on this one!

Live for the moment

Go for long walks,
indulge in hot baths,
question your assumptions,
be kind to yourself,
live for the moment,
loosen up, scream,
curse the word,
count your blessings,
Just Let It Go,
Just Be


Affirmations to use while decluttering the soul & home.

♥Mind♥Body♥Spirit♥
Sheryl

If that doesn't work, try the link: Keep Moving Forward

The actual quote is:
"If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward."
~Martin Luther King Jr

Ah, I have to get to sleep :)

We redid a few rooms, new furniture (most old stuff was carted off when the new stuff arrived) but there was some old furniture literally in the living room waiting to vacate the premises :(

The old-furniture-exodus was going way too slow, so this evening I put the rest of the stuff on free-cycle and it is all gone! Whoot!

Free Cycle - the fast way to unload heavy stuff without lifting :)

May May -

The physical stuff returns if the soul of the person is also not decluttered. De-cluttering is from the inside - out. The stuff is just an expression of whatever is going on inside a person.

Best of luck!

Hey Sheryl,

Yes, today my uncle sent me some pictures of the house that I will be cleaning. It is definitely a level 5 hoard. The house is huge and there is junk everywhere inside the house and outside. There is no running water in the house, there are bugs and animal poop everywhere, and all 3 of the bathrooms in the house are filled with dirty adult diapers. My aunt and uncle are not in therapy. They actually are not the hoarders. My aunt's parents are the hoarders. And right now they are living with my aunt and uncle. One of the reasons that I have agreed to lead this cleanup is because my aunt and uncle have been trying to get her parent's house cleaned for a long time now; but every time they clean it her parents always fill it back up again with more junk; and my aunt and uncle are getting really frustrated. So I have agreed to help them.

Hi Tillie!

Wow, tea while watching the sunrise :) Beautiful!

One step at a time! I loved the photo, too.

Been busy here, but things remain clam on the home front.

Be well,
Sheryl

Hi MayMay!

<yikes> Have you ever been to this house or seen photos, or been around the aunt uncle recently.

If this is really a level five type (and level-five internal clutter) - may I ask if the aunt & uncle are in therapy? :) Hoping they are.

Tips ..where is Cory? :)

Make sure there is enough cash (aunt/uncle) to pay to dump this stuff at the county dump or even better- rent a roll-off dumpster. Some stuff (batteries, chemicals, old medications have to be disposed of properly... make sure you know the local laws for this :) Should be on the Internet and I bet the code enforcement office would be happy to mail you any necessary reading materials.

Antiques, etc, that are "too many" - ask if you can get the list of local dealers who can also come to the house, and pay cash on the spot. This is delegating some of the "job" back onto others, let them research the "who" part of antique dealers.

Same for metal/scrap/broken appliances - have a list of who can come out and haul away, and pay cash on the spot. Delegate that job and expect these lists in your possession before you set off to help. *This is also more than lists, it starts the person making decisions on who/where some of the stuff is going*

YOUR SANITY: Check in with a 2/47 phone hotline if you start to feel unglued. I mean this, and say it from my heart; this is not easy stuff when it's family - been there.

Take care of you! Take time off & away to replenish your soul, eat dinner out by yourself or with a friend.

Wear old clothing (stuff you don't mind tossing in the trash), wear protective clothing if needed; always wear a mask and gloves.

GOOD LUCK! Seattle has Internet :) Check in here often. I really mean that "good luck" part, too!:)

Today I just found out that in a little over a month I get to go to Seattle to help clean up my aunt's parent's hoarded home.

My aunt and uncle from my dad's side of the family has just decided to let me help them clean up my aunt's parent's hoarded home. The way they describe the home it sounds like a level 5 hoard. I'm excited about the clean up because my aunt and uncle have decided to let me LEAD the clean up. Because they know that one day I would like to be an Extreme Cleaning Specialist like my 2 crushes Cory Chalmers and Matt Paxton. I'm kind of nervous about it because this will be my very first clean up and I'm leading it. I just hope I don't accidentally do anything to screw it up and make my aunt's parents mad. I'm mostly really excited about the clean up though. I'm thinking about asking them if I can spend time with my aunt's parents and then spend the night in their home like Cory got to do on that one episode of HOARDERS were he helped Doug. :)

Good morning :)

Really like that pic Sheryl. :D
It relates well to what we are always trying to teach.

Spent the time this morning watching the sun rise while I drank my tea.
A new day unfolding, fresh and full of promise.

Soon it will be cold and I will have to put away my summer dresses and start wearing my jeans and blouses.
Today I plan to go through my blouses and see if I still like them all or am not too crazy about some.
This task is done like a fashion show in front of a full length mirror and I must be terribly honest with myself.
Just because a blouse is a great color or fits me perfectly is no reason to keep it if it makes me look like a clown. ;)

Have a great day everyone!

Take two on the photo: you don't have to see the who staircase, just take the first step

Good morning. :)

My To-Do list for today...
sit here & read the internet while I drink my tea.
Then make some french toast.

Clean the kitchen. Late last night he drug out 5 days worth of his dirty dishes from his bedroom and the tiny fort he made for himself in the garage and now I have to wash them all. :(

Then I am going to watch movies and give myself a manicure.
Probably take a nap with the cats again too. :)

Have a great day everybody!

WTG! Cory! Job well done!!! :D
Have a good rest now.



I took a nap with the cats and then did nothing the rest of the day. Planning on doing nothing again tomorrow too. :)

Tillie,
Practice what we preach! No working until we drop. Hope you relaxed the rest of the day!

I woke up in Dallas today, flew back to LAX, then was dropped off at the office. One more hour and I am heading home to hopefully do NO WORK at all. I am exhausted. Manged to clean an entire hoarding house yesterday except for one room with only me and two local helpers. What a difference it made and she loved it! Here is to fresh starts and changed lives :)

Thanks Tina,
I really needed the laugh! :D

Got the watering all done and now I am going to lay down on the cat covered couch and sleep. :)

ACK! Sorry for the 'free love/hippie/affirmation' mushy stuff!
That's so totally not my style... (Damn menopause has my hormones going totally skitzo!) What I meant to say is: "Suck it up and get back to work!" ;0}~ [[WINK]]
(of COURSE I'm just kidding!)

What I really wanted is to just remind you that you're not alone!
Hell, I can barely cook dinner or wash dishes these days without catching myself fantasizing about cracking my hoarder husband in the head every time I have a frying pan in my hand! [Sometimes I think the only thing that's stopping me is that I've seen enough episodes of CSI to know that I'd never get away with it... Besides, he's 6'5" & 300lbs - I'd have a hell of a time finding a place to hide the body!] Well, and then there's that pesky "Love" thing...
LMAO!

Sometimes all we have is humor to get us through the rough spots.
Hang in there, Cookie!

You must take care of YOU, Our Dear Tillie!

Breathe, Take A Break, Run Away, Recharge.

You are Needed.
You are Cherished.
You are Loved.

Good morning,

I have worked myself sick. Totally exhausted.
Over compensating cleaning my "No Clutter Zones"
trying to keep his squalorous hoard out and away from me.
Living with a hoarder is hard and depressing.

Anyways....

My must do list today is to water the trees, bushes & garden plants.

Have a great day everyone.

I just want to thank those that responded to the note I wrote on Sunday saying I wouldn't be at the chat, and what I had been working on. I didn't expect to see responses and was so pleasantly surpised. THANK YOU!

Been sitting here reading on the interwebs and eating lunch.
Maybe I have sat for too long? One & a half hours.
Got the house all cleaned. :D
Smells wonderful in here.
Now I am off to shower & shampoo so I can smell nice too.

Tina thank you for posting!
I was worried. :(

Hope you are able to get some rest after last night.
Take care, Tillie (((hugs)))

Sorry about having to bow out of the chat session so abruptly last night. I was looking forward to catching up with everyone!
For those who were logged in at the time: Hubby survived. he's back home & resting comfortably.
:)

Hey Sheryl,
I am always having to get lazy cats out of bed too so I can make it.
They can't stay because I sleep on the sofa hide-a-bed and I need to fold it up into a couch.
Many times I am tempted to fold them up in it. ;)

YEA! The garbage truck is here now taking away all the rubbish he put out this week! :D
I love trash day.
Now the cans are all empty and ready to be filled again.

TTYL :)

Good morning :)
My ToDo list for today...
clean the bathroom super good
wash the floors
vacuum the carpet
dust
wipe down all door knobs, light switches, remotes, etc...
sweep porches

On cleaning days like today I am very happy that my house is so small. :D

Don't forget to watch HOARDERS tonight and then comment on the episode in Cory's thread here.

Have a GREAT Monday everyone! :)

Take Three! FaceBook Status

Did I mention that it is Monday? :)

Guess that was a photo fail! This is the clickable link:

Attaching Photos:

In this box, far upper right is "inset/update image" I use ow.ly to turn a photo into a URL. This is my Facebook status for today - http://ow.ly/i/XG6a

What am I doing today?

Did the morning routine, made half the bed with the older cat refusing to move off the other side *sigh*

Work (busted!)

Visit APS (need to get a copy of their plan for dad; I asked why they were visiting them and they did not know. I asked for their plan, something they must have in place before they start home visits)

Home!

The dinner-time rush, clean-up, feed-the-cats routine :) Oh the Joy!

Happy Monday!!

Each Tuesday, (is this only after a new show, or all Hoarders shows?), the experts on the show are on A & E "Hoarders" Message Board to chat and answer questions.

http://community.aetv.com/service/displayForum.kickAction?as=119137&w=265899

BIG "WaY To Go!!!" Allie. :D
Wonderful job sticking to your plan and doing some every day! :)

You will be missed tonight, Allie! :) Hope all is well with you and GREAT JOB on that paper work!

Hi Everyone,
I went through some paperwork and sorted it (still a lot more to do), but my goal was to work on it every day this week and I did. chipping away at it. I won't be in the chat tonight so I did want to connect.
best,
Allie

Good morning everyone :D

Thank ya'll for the well wishes. :)

Happy the Fur baby is feeling better!

The day is dark and chilly. Maybe we will get some rain to go along with the lightening.

My To-Do list for today...
Get into my tiny room where I keep all my things and vacuum around all the edges
Dust and polish.
This should take about 1/2 hour to complete.
Then I plan to cook a pot of soup.
Going to spend some quality time sewing which is one of my favorite things to do.

Hope everyone has a fun Sunday! :D

Hey Sheryl,

Well I would love to. but right now I don't really have a career. I'm still in college and I am a waitress at Logan's Roadhouse. :)

@Tillie - geez, that was some tumble :( Hope your friend recovers! I agree the home alerts for the elderly are great and do work! :)

Bad news on the smoke unless you have a lot of sewing to get done.

Aced that maze! No way was I getting lost in six-miles of corn (think of all the spiders in there), and went prepared :)

@MayMay, I travel for work - want to switch careers?

@Cory - yes, the fur-baby has greatly improved; he is eating, playing, and sleeping :)

*Eat*Play*Sleep: The life of a cat.

Speaking of eating, I am off to finish dinner & feed the cats.

♥Mind♥Body♥Spirit♥

Hey Cory,

Have fun in Dallas. My dad is actually going to dallas next month for work. I always get jealous whenever he gets to travel and I don't; because I love traveling. :)

Hey Tillie,

Sorry to hear about your friend. :( I hope he gets better soon.

Thank you Tina, Sheryl & Cory :)

My 84 year old friend has 5 fractured ribs and a
nasty concussion. His shoulder and arm are only badly sprained.
Those in home alert systems really work, the Sheriff's Deputies were at his home within minutes of him taking a tumble down the stairs.
He should be back home in about two weeks. :)

Have a safe trip Cory. :)
Sheryl, have fun in that maze! :D

My To-Do list today...
Do some more work cleaning up my garden.
When the smoke from all the nearby wildfires gets too thick I plan to come inside and sew.

Happy Autumnal Equanox everybody!!! :D

Hi Guys!
Tillie, hope you are having a better day today and that every in fact turned out ok yesterday.

Sheryl I hope the Fur Baby is doing better too :)

My to do list today, yard work. Blow off the back patio, then hose it down. Fill in the trenches my chickens make where the patio concrete slab meets the back yard as they dig for cool earth (sheesh, every day), rake up the hay that has spilled out of the goats feeder, restack the firewood, then clean the inside of the house. Tomorrow, pack for Dallas and then I am off. Hope you guys have a great Sunday meeting. I fly at 6:30 so won't be on again :(

I slept-in, had breakfast, and vacuumed. The beds are made, cats fed, boxes cleaned, and dishes washed. Time to bug out and have some fall fun. Got my compass & maps and headed into the Mayan corn maze with 6 miles of pathways.

Hope y'all get out and have some fun with the family and friends this weekend!

Mind♥Body♥Spirit♥

Tillie - I am so sorry & hope you are OK - email me if you want to chat off-line.

How are you doing today (Saturday)?

Sorry Tillie! ((HUGS!))

Been one of "those" days. :(

Woke up to a sad phone call. Fortunately, everything looks like it will be alright.

Hope everybody had a great day today :)

Hey Cory,

Thanks for the info. I'll call my aunt today and tell her. All of us would love to meet you too. And if my uncle gets picked for the show and you get picked to help him, then I'll be sure to bring Cory and Matt up to Michigan with me so that they can meet you too. :)

MayMay,
That is great news about your uncle because it means that they are willing to clean up! The downside is that we are going to be done filming the end of nex month so it must get submitted right now to even have a chance at making it in time. Also, here is what they are looking for in order to be considered and it doesn't sound like he has them all:
1) A Crisis
2) A Severe Hoard
3) Strong Support Characters
If he has all of these, then they will consider him for the show. Good luck and I would love to meet the family and friends :)

Friday 9/21

@flopz -yup, school, school, and more school :) I used to dream about school, intern & externships for most of eight years :) Good Luck & you can get through this semester! :)

===
*already did morning maintenance*

Leaving for work when I am done writing, here - have a great and productive day -everyone! :)
===
PS: The fur-baby is doing much better, he has gastroenteritis; his tummy was inflamed which is why it would not empty - emptying, now :)
===

Hey Cory,

OMG! My uncle from Michigan called me this morning with some really AWESOME news. My aunt is thinking about signing him up to be on 'HOARDERS'! I'm so excited I've been on the phone with relatives and friends all day today. I don't know how A&E picks who gets to be on the show but I really hope they pick my uncle. Plus my uncle is also really excited about it. :)

His hoard isn't as bad as some of the other hoards that I've seen on the show but it's still pretty bad. Most of it is outside and in the garage.

If they do pick my uncle to be on the tv show I really hope they will pick You to be the cleaning specialist that helps him. I think you guys would get along really well. Plus every female in my family and all of my friends have a crush on you. :)

Hi All,
Tillie, I would say for your plans going out the window you had a very productive day AND motivated him in the process to do a little of his own pitching in. Great job!

It is so incredible to see so many people connecting on this site and getting an outlet for both sides of this disorder. I love that people can now communicate with others about something so complex, so confusing, and so physically and mentally exhausting. Everyone is really stepping up to help others and I want to thank you all for that and especially to Tillie for coming up with the Daily Chat which has really increased peoples posts and ability to find answers. You all rock!

Cory