Today I am doing school, school and more school, but after I manage to finish all the homework for tomorrow I am going to clear my desk back off so it looks like an inviting work space as well as I am planning to do a load of dishes.

The main reason I am writing on this message board today however, is so that I can say a very quick hello to everyone as well as to wish everyone a wonderful day :)

Good morning :/

Yesterday's plans all went out the window.
He had a doctor appointment and returned home before noon.

Rather than waste this opportunity I decided it was a great time for us to do something about the bad smell oozing out from his bedroom.

He had a lot of food, dirty dishes and dirty laundry mixed in with all the general rubble.

I think the worst smell was coming from the bag of slimy, leaky, moldy "grapes?" I unearthed.

I put a sink full of dishes to soak while I started working on the 6 loads of laundry.

He was very pleasant during all this and then he went out in the carport and filled a big trash can from that area. :D

His bedroom still has clutter, dust and cobwebs but it is no longer a biohazard disaster site and it doesn't stink any more.

My plans for today are to get back to the plans that I had for yesterday.

Have a great day everyone :)

Good morning :)

My To-Do list for today...

ME TIME!

Taking the day off from everything
maybe give myself a nice relaxing & much needed pedicure.
might even take a nap after lunch

Have a great day everyone :D

Sheryl,

If you do nothing today other than take care of the fur babies and take a nap that's more than enough.
((HUGS)))

Thank you Tillie and MayMay ... I am both hopeful and concerned; we are leaving for his third x-ray @10:30a.m. to see if his stomach is emptying into his intestines (he is not vomiting). He's been getting IV fluids and meds to relax his tummy :( Poor baby.

Anyway -

Maintenance continues:
-Day three off work to care for ill cat
-Made the bed
-Cleaned bathroom
-Cleaned litter boxes
-Did the breakfast dishes and wiped down the counters.

...Vet...

When I get home from vet:

-Settle the baby back in, wash his crate & stroller, wash towels, put scan medical records

-Lunch

-Vacuum
-Dust
-Catch up on more scanning (have about 20 papers to scan (in addition to today's medical for the cat)
-Check e-mail
-Start dinner
...this is the plan so far, but I'll probably take a nap after vacuuming & dusting :)

Hope you all have a great day!

Hey Sheryl,

I'm so sorry to hear about your fur-baby. :(

I hope your fur-baby feels better soon.

(((hugs)))

Oh! Sheryl :(

Take it easy on yourself, I know how stressful this can be 24/7 till they are all back to normal again.
Hope things are straightened out soon and without much fuss.

(((Sheryl))) (((Furbaby)))

@MayMay - so glad you take good care of your fur-babies :)

@Tillie - Slow down a bit, I am getting exhausted just reading your lists ;)

Yesterday: Work, laundry (start to finish), take-out dinner, dishes, trash-out, beds made and not much more. One of the fur-babies wasn't feeling well, then perked up, and around 8:30 had a high temperature so off to our county's emergency vet clinic - got home after midnight.

Today: Sleep, much-needed sleep and self-care, and care of the fur-babies. The not-feeling-too-well fur-baby was doing better until he ate, and is now trying to hide. So, another x-ray, this time at his regular doctor - his stomach is not emptying into his intestines. X-rays last night did not detect a blockage; i.e., string, fuzz, fur-ball.

Using my sick-days for the fur-baby.

I just finished giving Matt and Cory a bath. They were outside playing for like 5 hours this morning and when they finally wanted to come inside they were filthy. I have no idea what they were doing out there but when they finally came in they were all sticky and covered in dirt and Cory had a pine cone stuck to his head. It was hilarious. lol. :)

Good morning :)

My To-Do list for today...
tidy up the bathroom
sweep & vacuum the floors
water everything outside
put new shelf paper on the shelves in the bathroom cupboard
sweep the porches
start alterations on a dress

Have a great day everyone! :D

Hi Bonnie :)
Thank you ;)

Now is the time to get back to it!
Along with general housekeeping maintenance spend some time on another decluttering task.
Set a timer for 5-10 or 15 minutes and work on a small area till the timer "dings".
It is amazing how much you can get done in only a short amount of time.
Then reset the timer and tackle some more space.
So many areas can be cleared from a sitting position so grab a chair, sit down and clear everything within your reach.

You can do this! :D

Good Morning All!!

Did nothing yesterday because after my work marathon my entire body hurt. Hope today will be a better day. Hope to continue clearing the floor in my bedroom.

Tillie, you are my idol!!! I wish I could be as productive as you!!!!

Maybe what I finally figured out can help someone else in the future...

Yesterday I did some major clean out in an incredibly bad mess.
Years worth of long abandoned clutter in a carport with a leaky roof.
There were cardboard boxes that just crumbled when I touched them, ancient dried leaves that had blown in, some dead birds and rodents, bags and bottles of chemicals like old used motor oil and brick hard bags of stucco and cement along with some stuff who's bags had deteriorated to the point that I could not tell what was in them.

I wore jeans and a long sleeve blouse. Gloves and a face mask. Had my hair tightly braided down my back.

Right after I decided that I had had enough I came inside showered & shampooed and put on all clean clothes.

I started getting very itchy and it just would not stop so I took another shower and shampooed again.
This did not stop the itching.

I kept looking at my skin to see if I had a rash but there was nothing to see.

I took a benadryl and the itching finally stopped and I could sleep.

Showered again this morning and NOW I can see a slight rash on my skin.

No telling just what I was exposed to that caused it but I am writing this post in the hope that others will be very careful when dealing with long standing hoards of unknown substances.

Good morning :)

I have been up & busy since early.
Got the laundry all done & hung out on the line.
Did cat chores.

Taking it easier today after all the work I did yesterday.
Need to make some more lemonade and thinking about making another batch of cookies LOL :D

It is a beautiful, quiet morning here and I am just enjoying it.

Don't forget to enjoy all the little pleasures in life.

Have a great day everybody! :)

Hi Carol,
I know Goodwill Industries has a bookstore in Upland on Foothill near Benson. You can contact them to see if they would arrange a pick up of all the books but they won't want telephone books of any books that are not in at least decent condition. The bookstore sells almost all the books for under $2.00. Here is their info.

1760 West Foothill Boulevard Upland, CA 91786
(909) 204-4462

Cory Chalmers
1-800-HOARDERS.com

Good morning,

Soon as I finish drinking my tea and reading stuff on the internet I plan to go on the war path.
Need to clear off my patio table, AGAIN!
Going to grab a big trash can and start filling it with all sorts of HIS obvious trash/gabage laying all around the yard, carport and back porch!!!
This should make him nervous enough to start doing this task himself so nothing "good" gets tossed out.
Wish me luck ;)

Hello Carol, :)

I would call the disabled American Veterins organization and ask them if they know any resources to help.

http://www.dav.org/

Good luck.

I am planning to take my nabor (73 navy nam vet never married, SEVERE hoarder) to church with me and my husband. He needs WAY more help than I (a recovering hoarder) can POSSIBLY give! Questions: 1) Is there ANYONE who would haul away (free) a room full of telephone books, and/or other books?
We are in the Inland Empire of So Cali if ANYONE lives nearby and knows the answer. HELP!
2) What should I do next?
Thanks for any or all responses!

Bonnie,

Sit down and RELAX every minute you can!
Sometimes life gets in the way of cleaning and it's alright as long as you get back to it when things settle down.

Take care. :)

Ok, I have to confess I did nothing in the house yesterday or today - HOWEVER, I have a valid excuse - I hope. Yesterday I worked 14 hours and today I worked 13.25 for those of you keeping track that is is almost 37 hours in 3 days AND I am standing on my feet 99 44/100% of the time. AMD I will be back at work at 5am tomorrow. I will be back on track next week I promise!!!! If I dont make the chat tomorrow it is becuae I will be unconscious!!!!!!

Hey Tillie. :)

I'm actually the same way when it comes to going out in public too. :) Especially at the grocery store. I hate going to the grocery store because it's always crowded there. Another reason I hate going out in public is because I'm always scared of running into someone that I don't want to run into; like my crazy ex boyfriend. I can't wait until I move to NYC. Once I move there I'll never have to worry about running into someone that I don't want to run into ever again. :)

Once I move to NYC I'm going to go out and party all the time. Every night will be a PARTY! :)

Even though I don't like going out in public that much I will be going to the mall today with some friends. :) Then tomorrow I am going to clean out my closet. It actually is really messy in there. I am not a hoarder but I will admit that right now my closet does look like a level one hoard. ;)

Good morning :)

I am all caught up on the household daily chores.
In a little while I will be taking my grocery list to the store.
Really hate going out in public but sometimes it is necessary. :(

The weather here is at that stage where the early mornings are cold enough to turn on the Edenpur space heater and afternoons are hot enough you still need the evaporative cooler on.

This also means that you need both winter clothes and summer clothes during the days.
Oh well! ;)

Have a great day everybody. :)

MayMay,

Now you made me blush :)

I still want to see some pictures of you and your dogs. Now get in that closet for the new weekend task!

Hey Tillie and Cory. :D

Ok, the next time I take Cory and Matt for a walk I'll bring someone else along with me so that they can take a picture of me walking them while I'm wearing my hoodie. :D

Cory,
Both Cory and Matt are twins so they both look alike. Cory wears a red collar and Matt wears a blue collar so that people can tell them apart. :)

But I will admit Cory, that I did start having a crush on YOU before I started having a crush on Matt. I've had a crush on YOU for a little over a year now and I've had a crush on Matt for about 6 or 7 months now. I didn't really start having a crush on Matt until after you guys did that podcast together earlier this year. Now I love both of you guys equally. ;)

By the way, when I was wearing my hoodie and walking Cory and Matt today I got honked at like 10 times and some guy screamed out his window at me and told me that he was a hoarder. lol.

ROTFLMAO :D

Yes, that is a must see for sure. And please, whether true or not, tell us that the better looking dog is Cory so I can rub it in Matts face!

MayMay,
You really MUST get a picture of you in your hoodie walking Cory & Matt! :D

I just walked outside and realized that it is 57 degrees outside. YAY! Fall is finally here! I'm going to go put on my STERI-CLEAN hoodie and take Cory and Matt for a walk. :)

Sorry for the dealy in posting this, but AWESOME JOB BONNIE!!!
Yes, there may be more to do but each time you are getting closer. It may take one, two, or 20 more days like that but you will get there, and you just proved to yourself you CAN do it. Keep up the great work and be sure to send me a photo of you in the seatshirt. It just might end up on my FB page or the 1-800-HOARDERS.com website :)

Good morning :)

Friday again already! Where did the week go?

My To-Do list today...
make grocery shopping list
dust & polish furniture
run the vacuum
wash my light weight summer blanket & put it away till next summer. :(
fix the bathroom window in my doll house (it keeps falling out) lol :D
Yes, I have a sweet tiny doll house with real working lights

I have been searching for things to keep me occupied this winter when I won't have any gardens to tend to.
So far I have a bag of crochet cotton to make dish cloths with and 3 jigsaw puzzles with dragon scenes.

Have a great day everybody! :)

Thanks Tillie. :D

MayMay,

Enjoy wearing your hoodie! :D

YEA! Bonnie :D WTG!

Thanks, the new stuff really makes a nice change in there.

What I like about summer is that I can wear my dresses and sandals every day but here in winter I have to wear jeans, socks and shoes or freeze.

Have a good night's rest. :)

Tillie - thanks for the encouragement!!!

I for one say good riddance to summer! It was waaayyy too hot for me this summer. I think the only thing I did was sweat!

Congrats on the new stuff - I bet it looks awesome!.

Today I worked 9 and a 1/2 hours. Then, I stopped at the grocery store and returned $3.65 worth of water bottles. When I got home I cleared off my nightstand and wiped down the top and shelf. I also cleared a little more of the floor by by bed.

Now I am taking a shower and going to bed!!!!

I can't wait until it gets cold. I've always liked winter but I'm really excited about this winter because this winter I get to wear my STERI-CLEAN hoodie that I bought from Cory Chalmers' other website 1-800-HOARDERS.com. So far I've only worn it like 3 times because right after I got it mother nature decided to deliver us a super early spring. I don't plan on doing that much today besides going to work. :)

Good morning :)

It got cold over night! :(
Summer is almost gone. Dreading another 7 or 8 months of being shut up in the house with the windows and doors always closed.

This summer I bought some new towels, washcloths, bathmat, shower curtain and kept them stored till yesterday. Now the bathroom looks all fresh and new. :D

The old stuff is now out of the house and gone. :)

My To-Do list for today...
Wash cat blankets
Pull dead-ish plants from garden
Make Dexter ( my outside feral cat that I can't touch) a safe & warm bed.
Bring in the tote with my only decorations, (Halloween) :)
Declutter my patio table. He has piled it high with stuff because it is a flat surface. :(
Decide why we have 3 upright vacuum cleaners and see if he will let at least one of them go.

Just generally looking around here getting ready for winter. The usual weather has always been that we get our first blizzard by October 31st.

Everybody have a great day today. :)

BIG WTG! Bonnie!!! :D

Look at all you did do and know that you can do the rest.
Little by little really adds up and makes a huge difference.

Celebrate all your victories over the clutter. :)

But wait - there's more - I vacuumed - yes, you read that right I vacuumed the part of the hallway that is outside my bedroom door. Put in a load of wash - kind of had to - had nothing to wear to work tomorrow. Total for the day - One black trash bag and 3 white kitchen bags outside to be put out for trash pick up on Friday. If I could do 1/4 of what I did today I would be happy.

Ok so today was one of the most productive day I have had in a long time. I gathered up all the trash in the bathroom, some of the trash in the kitchen, paid my current bills and put them with the other bills - still a work in progress but usually i would just put them on the floor or in a box - at least now they are all together. I almost cleared the way from the door to my bed a space about 6 feet by 3 feet. But,as much as I did, it depresses me to see all I still have to do and have doubts as to whether I can do it.

Good morning :)

Today I have no real plans but will do stuff like
pull some weeds
sort & straighten out my pantry and some cupboards
look through some drawers

I am in one of my "moods"
I want to toss stuff! The only things that I can toss are my own things.
Decided that the silverware I received as a wedding gift in 1972 will be donated.
Some depression era dishes can go too along with some fancy antique china serving dishes.
We never have company, guests or family get togethers here and these things are no longer needed. And quite frankly I am tired of taking care of them. ;p

My favorite charity thrift shop will appreciate this donation. :D

Nate does not want to inherit these things (I asked him) or I would give them to him now. :D
I am keeping my Grandmother's china and silverware because I use this stuff every day.

Have a great day everybody! :D

Hi MayMay! I do not think Debra "hated" the house; but rather, the "disappointment" (statement) was really a "shift" in thinking, something that we like to see happen in therapy. Debra's declaration of, "I am always *disappointed" just bubbled out of her and she broke down.

Dr. Green did miracles with Debra! :)

*Disappointed: The clean house & freshly painted walls, did not give Debra the expected "high" she was hoping for; the "high" that shopping gives her. Shopping (buying stuff) is Debra's addiction and she literally lived for that albeit short "high" "buying stuff" gives her.

There is a deleted scene on the A & E Hoarders site where Dr. Green helps reunite Debra with her husband and children. Joy is the only word I can come up with after watching that scene.

Hey Bonnie & Tillie. :)

I thought last night's episode of "HOARDERS" was pretty good. :) I felt so bad for Dorothy though, because she did such an amazing and beautiful job at getting the house ready, and the lady absolutely hated it. :( I loved that Matt tried to spend the night in the house. I thought that was really brave. :) When they showed him in the house at night I kind of felt like I was watching a really gross episode of "Ghost Adventures." lol. :)

Sorry to hear about your headache Bonnie. :( I hope you feel better. :)

(((hugs)))

I havent really seen many episodes of hoarders because it just made me feel worse about my own situation. I do know that if I were Matt I would not have stayed in that house either!!!

Today I made my bed - and that is it. I have had a headache all day and cant seem to shake it. I am feeling very, very guilty because there is lots I want to do but cant because my head hurts. I will try taking more Advil and hope for the best. I want to work on paperwork - if nothing else I want to pay my current bills.

Good morning Bonnie & MayMay (((hugs)))

This morning I have been reading on the A&E messageboard. I love to read the doctor's, organizer's and extreme cleaner's posts.
Such a wealth of wonderful information to be had for free and they are such nice people too. ;)

I did not like last night's episode.
I did like the clients and their families and the work done.
The staging and editing and sound track rubbed me wrong.
Matt whimped out and didn't stay all night in the house. LOL :D
I really dread whenever I must step outside into the carport, side yard or garage here at night. Even my big Maglight flashlight isn't powerful enough to help much.
What did you think about the HOARDERS episode?
I really liked the way the homes looked at the end.

My To-Do list today...
I watered everything
Maybe later I will take a nap. I stayed up till after 11:00pm last night to watch the new HOARDERS online.
Have pleanty of taco fixins ready in the fridge so supper is going to be easy. :D
Will clean up the kitchen after I mess it up
Took care of the cat issues. Clean bowls, fresh water, lots of food & scooped out the litter boxes.

Have a Great day!

Thanks Bonnie. :)
(((Hugs)))

MayMay

I am so sorry to hear about your neighbor. Dont worry about doing anything today. Allow yourself to grieve. Let us know how you are doing.

Hugs.

I just woke up. I don't plan on doing that much today. I just found out that my neighbor died last night; so right now I'm just really sad. :(

WTG! Bonnie! :D

You are pretty amazing yourself! ;)

Bottles are gathered and in bags to be returned to grocery store. I also changed my sheets. Tillie you are amazing!!! Good job!!! Hope to see you all on chat after hoarders.

Swiping this off my Facebook wall:

"Never feel shame for trying and failing for he who has never failed is he who has never tried."
~Og Mandino

===
So ready for the new season of Hoarders, tonight!!