Good morning!

life still full, house still full and messy.

today - school, swim, Bean, pottery class.

tomorrow medical appointment and my parents are arriving for the weekend.  My mom keeps assuring me that they are not coming to see the house.

construction progressing, ddil tired of being pregnant but all still going well with the twins.

i deleted half a dozen lego bargains from my watch list without bidding last night.  My prize box is full.  I might get a middle sized prize this week.  I am seeing a few positive changes from the habits I am reinforcing with the prizes.  Just tiny shifts, but in the right direction.

Good morning!

tatoulia, you are correct about CM.  I had hundreds of dolls as a child.  My grandmother collected dolls and she and my grandfather travelled the world and she brought dolls back for me and my cousin from everywhere.  We also got them for occasions - entire sets of dolls - one Christmas I got FIVE Sasha dolls and an extensive handmade wardrobe.  Tiny dollhouse dolls in Easter eggs, Halloween themed dolls, flea market dolls in need of tlc…..  I had pared down my doll collection severely, and then my grandmother died.  And her collection was divided up and partly auctioned off.  We knew we would get back very little per doll, and how much she loved collecting them and having them, and my mother kept saying “if you like it, just take it.”  And I acquired far too many dolls.  But it did not stop there.  There were a few dolls that both my cousin and I wanted, and I started looking for copies of the ones my cousin took on eBay.  It was like a switch.  And for a couple of years I aggressively collected more dolls.  I’m sure it was a coping mechanism.  It made my grandmother feel close again, and I would face time my mother with my new treasures and bargains and she would be just as excited as I was and we would talk about how much Gram would have loved this or that and say it was good that she never discovered eBay or the house would have been buried in dolls.  And then, I stopped.  And I donated some that were mistakes and could be played with, but I have enjoyed the ones I have.  Now though, there are some that were eBay dolls that I have grown tired of.  They don’t have play value, they are decorative.  Not made in ways that allow them to be enjoyed by a child - too large and heavy, or too fragile, or too stiff.

i have bought a few dolls this year.  Replacements for two from my childhood that were badly damaged, and three small collector dolls that are beautifully made.  I loved the designer when I was collecting a lot, but her dolls were too expensive, and I splurged on one tiny one at a ”bargain” price.  Now she seems to have fallen out of favor and I was able to get three of her 8-10” dolls at less than half of the price I paid for the tiny one that is still one of my favorites.  Setting them with my other small dolls has helped me realize I need to downsize more.  Like folding a beautiful quilt up for the summer and realizing it will be crowded it your closet with bright polyester blankets in too many colors.

hooray for your coffee table!  So far I am clearing the counter of doom every Friday, but not during the week.  Progress.

i am glad that moms cat is still there keeping you company. 🙂

dsil ended up bringing Bean to get buddy so bean could see the progress on the studio construction, so I did not run my errands.  I did clean up a bit and throw a few pots that might be ready for class on Thursday.  But the errands have been added to today.

Dh is still sick.  My foot still hurts.  It makes me tired but also reminds me to be grateful - for everything.  I really could have died if that fall had gone badly.

Carry on….

Subc!  I’m so sorry about your foot and I’m sorry that your husband is sick!  Glad that your parents will be coming for a visit.

I do not remember your doll collection. I seem to recall the CM was big on Barbies and making doll clothes.  Correct me if I’m wrong.

I did not have a lot of dolls. Just a few Madam Alexander that I eventually donated.  I loved the idea that someone would see them as treasure.

coffee table still clear. What a difference that makes!

please take good care of yourself, SubC. You do so much each day.  I’m a slacker.

sending you much love. I’ve showered, done the dishes, and am getting ready for bed. Trash and recycling out. There’s a cat sleeping next to me and I love her so much. Mom’s cat.

Good morning!

Ran errands and worked on the house this weekend.  Overdue it and my foot really hurts. But my house feels better.

my parents are coming to visit Friday!  This is a really happy surprise, but also makes me nervous because my dad is having a risky surgery when they go home and it feels a little too “one last visit”. I’m trying to be optimistic.  The odds are in his favor, but not by a lot.

anyway, I got sheets on their bed, but need to fix up the room a bit.  Clean towels are ready and Dh ordered a nonslip mat for their shower.

i moved a very large shelf of dolls yesterday.  It was the project I was starting when I hurt my foot.  I don’t know if anybody here remembers that the excessive doll collection is part of my problem (dolls, books, craft and sewing supplies, pottery, Legos). In moving them I found a few I think I can let go of, but they are collector dolls that actually sell (based on online searches) and I don’t have a good solution for them locally (donate and they end up in a giant plastic bag that may sell or may get tossed - they are the type of thing that requires knowledge and marketing to get value). So I think I may put them in a box or bin and address them at a later date - either try eBay or contact a specialized auction house two hours from here.  I don’t expect a lot of money from them - I got my enjoyment out of them - but a small amount and knowing they were wanted would be nice.

Buddy arrives in an hour, so I need to get moving.  I will take him home and run two more errands this evening.  Then tomorrow I teach, swim, and have my gp physical.  Wednesday is teaching and the eye doctor, Thursday teaching, swimming, and pick Bean up and take him to the library program, then return him and go to my class, and Friday I have a mammogram and my parents arrive.

i put off all of these appointments because I couldn’t find time when I was helping so much with bean and Buddy, and now I am trying to squeeze everything in before the twins are born.  I also need to throw and fire pits for my class because I have nothing ready.  Maybe tonight….

Good morn8ng!

tatoulia, I’m glad the badger worked.  I am so overwhelmed.

my foot hurts, my armpit hurts from the crutch, and I am not getting enough sleep.

yesterday I got up at 5:00 and did my chores, got ready for school, and loaded my car.

taught,

took care of a return (no item out, I never counted it in - found a low price that saved $23)

swam

picked up Bean

went back to school to talk to the other pottery teacher and turn in a receipt before I lost it

lost my building key

bought Bean a snack and took him to the library craft time

had dinner with Bean’s family (which involved wrangling buddy so they could get bean ready for scouts)

went to my class and fired ten pots - 4 of which exploded.

came home and did chores and set up coffee and showered.

got to bed at 11

No dishes, no laundry, no cleaning up after myself.

buddy will be here any minute.  I’m drinking coffee in my bathrobe. Dh is sleeping - he’s sick.

Hello everyone!  Karl, I remember you from the days when Tillie was still here!  I hope you are doing well!  Sally, congratulations on the new dishwasher!  Great feeling!  And good on you for taking care of other stuff at the same time!  Isn’t it satisfying to get things accomplished?

Subc yay for your skirt!  Yes the badger rid her job and I have a clean and cheer coffee table!   Still Moreno to on my desk but that’s been a great feeling.

im home from work and just showered. I’ve been helping my sister sort through her life and it is taxing but the goal is to finish by end of year.  Sally, much like you, I’m trying to forge a relationship with a family member -my sister- now that my mother is gone.

Tatoulia - coffee table? 🦡🦡

I got my little prize this week and had enough points for my skirt! (I had to schedule all my annual health checks to get there). Skirt is washed and ready to wear.  I also had 5 little Lego sets in this week bought to amuse bean and buddy.  Bean has put the first one - a little turtle - together and buddy loves it.  So I’m going to count six in.  The little sets may end up being seasonally rotated because they have themes and colors that would work - the turtle - summer, a duck family - fall, a bunny, spring, and a chubby hamster and a puppy that would each work for winter. The puppy really works for anything.  The hamster is just so round it makes me think of hybernating.

My house is not as nice as it was a week ago when dad and her SO were here, and it makes me sad.  I feel like I should be able to keep up with my house.  But I am tired and my foot still hurts a lot.

Hello new people! (Even if you are just stopping by)

tatoulia, how is your coffee table?🦡 (I do love that our badger is back)

this week has been overwhelmingly busy.  The pain in my foot is getting better, but still wearing me down.  And slowing me down.

this week included parent/teacher night, my birthday (which was sweetly, if barely, celebrated with some small consumable gifts from my mom and a cake made by dd2 and grandsons, tucked into a bust day), some concerning health news about a family member (not related to the twins) and the delivery of building materials for the studio addition - which have created a maze I must thread in the dark to do chores.

i have been struggling to get to bed at a reasonable hour and get yoga and swimming into my week.  The counter of doom has things on it again, but I think I can clear it off by the end of the day tomorrow, which will be just enough points to get me my prize AND my skirt to wash for next weekend. - actually Dh has made plans for us with friends on Sunday and I may wear it then.

i’m keeping up ok with trash and recycling.

i’m picking Bean up after school today and taking him to the library for a craft event.

Thanks so much Karl!!!!!

🌵😎💚

Huh, I wasn't aware that there was an issue with the chat.  I've been there every day with no problems.  But if there's been an issue with the usual means of connecting, that could explain the low turnout lately.

If the main link https://hoardingcleanup.com/chat_room isn't working, try using https://rumbletalk.com/client/chat.php?m5@:rWUm instead -- that's the one I always use, since it uses more of the screen space for the chat itself, without all of the other side cruft.  (That's the same link that you can find within the chat by selecting the gear icon and following "open the chat in a separate window".  I found it useful to bookmark that link, and always go there directly without using the menu.)

UGH!!!!

Chat is GONE……… probably won’t be back until Sunday, but then again it was not there on 10/4. At least I confirmed it was there for Tuesday’s group on 10/6. Added that group to my calendar to try and get additional help.

I swept, mopped and dusted the fan, hanging pots and over head lights in kitchen. To be brutally honest, it’s been years since I have done those chores. 😞 We have 4 cats 🐱 🐈‍⬛ 🐈 🐱 so I will have to keep up with it more. The kitty/dust/bunnies are EVERYWHERE and the card board scraps from their scratching pads are also EVERYWHERE!🤣

I have now taken responsibility for the DISHES! Our new dishwasher is getting installed as I type this message 🌵😎💚 The old one did not shut off one evening and overflowed everywhere. Ruined my favorite mat…I got a better one now. All the plastic bags under the sink got soaked. Have to throw them away instead of recycle. Don’t know if we have enough room in our garbage bin tonight. I went manic cleaning and looked at all the cob webs in the window behind the curtain over the sink. It was absolutely disgusting 🤮! I remember when my stepmom, back in 1997 before she passed that year, would always want my Dad to clean the windows 🪟 so she could look out over the backyard here in Tucson, Arizona and the mountains ⛰️! I had a flash back and though, wouldn’t it be nice if I had that too in her memory! (Nothing like thinking of my Dad who I’ll be 84 on 11/11 with his 3rd wife in Albuquerque, New Mexico near my brother. My Dad had seizures in June when I was on a cruise 🚢 with my family in the Mexican Riviera.  Also it’s my Mom’s 7th anniversary of her death on December 13th. She told me on her death bed to reconcile my relationship with my Father. Wow! Lot’s of stuff going on in my ADHD, bipolar 1, anxiety disorder, dyslexic and hoarder BRAIN! 🧠 )

That’s enough unloading for now….

Until next time…

Hello,

Thank you both for your messages. I went to the chat room moments ago and posted the following. Can you answer the last question? Maybe the chat room is just open since there was a meeting last night.

I was attending the groups and going to the chat room throughout the day many moons 🌝 ago. If was very help to chat with people in real time as I did my housework. I would work for 30 minutes and go to the chat room to see how everyone progressed with their tasks.

Thank you so much!

10-07 09:07

10-07 09:08

Sally:

It’s just me and you, Ren!

10-07 09:09

Sally:

Reading back. Waiting for handymen to arrive to install dishwasher. Had to get a new garbage disposal too.

10-07 09:13

Sally:

Is this chat going to save and stay open 24/7?

Hi Sally!  Welcome!  We do post things here and if you ask for advice, we will give you our perspectives!  Is there any place you’d like to start or help getting started, say the word!  And if you don’t want advice and just want to chat, we are good at that, too!

SubC, the glass balls sound lovely!  And now I bet you cannot wait til Spring. Glad you liked the boyfriend!

I have been doing some stuff around here. I’m so busy at work. I need two more people and I only have authorization for one. But in any event, the right people aren’t applying.  I had someone who I was all set to hire and she had devastating personal news and could not start. I know her from a past life and her reason is very sad. So I’m working too much and stressed too much.

im making progress in my coffee table. Please badger me. Send the badger here!

missing you all

Good morning!

hi sally!  I’m sorry the chat wasn’t working.  You are welcome to come talk with us here at any time.  It is slow, but you can fit it into your schedule whenever and as often as you like.

tatoulia, how is your fridge?

I really like the boyfriend.  We have had a great time.  Dh takes them back to the airport today after lunch.

i bought a satchel with an embroidered dragon yesterday and the kids bought me a hostess/ birthday gift - the glass blower makes clear balls with seasonal trees inside and I have fall and winter.  They bought me spring.  I have a place where I hang them each season, so now I will just have to leave spring up until I am ready to switch for fall, and maybe another year I will get summer.

that takes back my two things though, so my tally list is still right.

How sad! 😞🌵 Still no group here at 5:49pm. I really look forward to this group as part of my wellness plan here in Tucson, Arizona. I have acknowledged my problem as a hoarder and desperately need the support from people here so I can feel heard and loved. 💕 I hope it was just a technical glitch today on Sunday October 5th, 2026 at 5pm Tucson time and the chat room will be back like it was 24/7 in the past. Also, I pray 🙏 to attend the support group next week. Thank you so much for listening.

I don’t see the chat room, like I did about 45 minutes ago. We had it last week. 💚😎 Will it be there soon?

Thanks, Cory, for helping us out!  Truly appreciate what you are doing to keep this community alive for us.

Subc, I’m glad you got the X-ray!  Im also glad that the visit is going well!

The top of my fridge is clean in terms of dirt but it is where I store the big thing of paper towels and some vases.  I’ll reassess tomorrow.  Today we actually had sunshine in Boston!  I got up early (for me-certainly not for farm folk!) and after coffee and breakfast I ran a lot of errands.  Drycleaner, post office, got my flu and Covid shots, etc.  then I came home and napped.  I’m now up and doing laundry and trying to decide if I should make dinner.  I did pick up some grapes so maybe those will satisfy me.

I like the idea of leaving the weather sneakers overseas

I’ve made some progress in getting rid of stuff, which you know makes me very happy. Will report more tomorrow!!

Good Morning All,
I am checking in to see if most of the bugs on this new website seemed to have been fixed. If you have any further issues please do post and let me know. I am really sorry you all have experienced so many problems! This was clearly not our intention, and hope we can resolve any other issues.

As a last resort, the only option will be to lose our past message boards, so we are working diligently so that doesn't have to happen!

Thank you,
Cory Chalmers
Steri-Clean Inc. & Hoarders.com

Good morning!

dd and her SO is here.  He seems as nice in person as on FaceTime, and the conversation is much more comfortable. I managed to get the house to a presentable level of messy.  She complimented me on the empty counter of doom. I added two more things to the going out pile in the last push to clean up.

i finally gave up and got my foot xrayed on Thursday.  Not broken, extensive soft tissue damage but Achilles is fine.  Get crutches and keep weight off it as much as possible until the pain is gone.  So I have crutches.  I refuse to count crutches in.

Good evening.

dd cleaned the bathroom for her sister when she picked up Buddy.  You could now perform open heart surgery on my bathroom floor.  She informed me that no one is to use it until her sister gets here.

dh made dinner tonight and the dishes are mostly cleaned up.

Buddy helped me clean out a cupboard (he pulled everything out before I could stop him because I am slow right now.)  I took the opportunity to wipe it out and put back only the things that should be there.  But now my counter of doom is covered again.  Not buried though, I think I should be able to clear it pretty easily.  I know where almost everything goes.

i think my foot is slightly better.  New bruises are appearing all over my body.

do you remember how I was supposed to get a pottery studio addition to the pole barn?  In March?  They arrived to level the space and lay down the gravel today.  Now.  When I have lost all momentum, given up on ever seeing the project happen, have no free time, and will be leaving to help ddil with her expanding family. Sigh.

I am picking both Buddy and Bean up tomorrow because their parents have a conflict. I am really worried about Bean and Buddy when I am gone and their mom is out of state during the week.  I would feel better if she didn’t have to start this new project until January.

Good morning!

are you revisiting the top of your fridge as a cookbook location?  Or does it need clearing?

how long will you be overseas?  Could you buy new walking sneakers there and leave them with him?

I’m sorry your work is spilling over so much!

I hobbled around the renfest with my walking stick yesterday.  It was nice and I got to see my favorite shows.  I only bought lotion and fancy bodice laces, so those won’t count.  I have a “thinking about” list for next weekend when I go back with Dd and her SO.  My foot hurts more this morning than it did yesterday.  I don’t know….

dd has to drop Buddy off at 6 because she has a work emergency.  I am tired. My house is messy.  I will be in my pajamas still when they get here because right now I am just drinking coffee and waiting for the ibuprofen to kick in.

OH NO SubC, that is terrible but yes you were lucky. The universe has issued a stern warning!

im working so much these days. Even broke my no work on the weekends rule by working for four solid hours yesterday.  Didn’t even make a dent in my work but I refuse to do again today.

we are having a big rainstorm this weekend. Today is much worse then yesterday, which means I should’ve gotten out yesterday.

I am not putting my cookbooks on the counter since I don’t like things on my kitchen counter.  I will revisit the top of my fridge today.

I have some clothes to go through. I am done with my shopping for Christmas overseas.  I am also done with my things for my sister, which I will bring to her when I see her in October.  I know at the end my sweetheart will ask me for a bunch of stuff.  I’m bracing for that.  I do not want to bring two suitcases so something, somewhere, is going to have to give. The thing is I bring hiking boots and rainproof sneakers so that I have different shoes to wear. I also bring a pair of flats I can wear to the hotel breakfast.   I do need new rain sneakers. The ones I had last year did their job but they are heavier than I’m used to and my legs tire out. We generally walk five miles a day.

I have serious laundry to do today. I want to freshen up my winter jackets.

ttyl!

Well, the board seems to be working again.  Still hit or miss.

I got my prize for the week Friday, and if I do really well the next two weeks I’ll be able to redeem my skirt and wash it in time for the concert. (I have not counted the two prizes “in” because they are both minifigures and I am counting Legos against the bins.  Unless I buy/redeem a set.) 

the counter of doom is still clean.

I went to buy feed and stopped at the little free library yesterday, so there are some books in my car.  I also picked up some irresistible little bits and pieces at the end of the month art/farm/flea market near the feed store.

then I came home, made a really stupid choice about standing on a bar stool, fell, and broke some things.  For a while I thought one of those things might be my foot, but now I think it’s just a very bad, deep bruise. (I got extremely lucky - I was on a concrete floor, but hit my head on a cardboard box.)  I have well and truly learned my lesson.  I would be very sad about one of the things I broke if I wasn’t so grateful that none of them was my foolish skull.  My injuries and losses are a cheap price for the lesson.

I am hobbling about with a stick, but I am determined to use my dated ticket for the renfest today, and very well may shop.  So I will update my acquisitions and destructions later - assuming the board is working.

dd is picking Buddy up tomorrow and helping me clean for her sister.  I got very little done yesterday due to sitting on the couch with ice and hobbling.  It is hard to carry things.

Good morning!  The board seems to be working - crossing my fingers!

The counter of doom is clean!

yesterday I took an entire truckload of recycling into the city and now I just need to sweep that corner of the basement.  Buddy has his 2 yr. Checkup this morning, so he is getting here late and i am trying to get as much done as possible.  I am excited and nervous about dd2 bringing her SO - one week!

I’m going to cry. I would love to visit you and change the sheets and work on laundry. You are so very dear, SubC.

LOVE your reward system!

I saw on something, maybe Instagram, where someone is wrapping up books as each day of an advent calendar. Used kids books. What a treat!  I used to love to go to garage sales to look for Nancy Drew books.

I am grateful for my kindle. It holds so many books for me.

ttyl dear SubC.

The post below was from Saturday.  I’m copying and pasting into notes because the board has been so glitchy.  Now I will try for a better update.

Cookbooks - can you clean off part of a shelf or a kitchen cupboard?  Put up a wall shelf? Sacrifice a bit of counter space? Set a crate on its side under a table? Stack them on a table or dresser in a way that looks nice?  Maybe under a teapot or other pretty kitchen-y item?

The counter of doom is almost clear.  I am determined that it will be clear by Friday and every Friday after that. I have a skirt with pumpkins and kitty cats on it in the prize bin and I REALLY want to wear it to a concert on October 17. I have to get almost all my points to get it out in time.

I am still working on the house and hoping I will have it nice enough for dd2 and her SO.  Today I washed the pillows for their bed.  I will do the bedding on Friday and make it up - one week before they come.  There is no cat now, so that should be ok.  I wish you really could come do it just because it would be so nice to have you here - I would probably cry.

I have a huge pile of recycling in the basement to sort and pack tonight and Wednesday night so I can load it Wednesday night and drop it off at the city recycling hub after I swim on Thursday.  That will open up a corner of the basement and hopefully give me space to make things more orderly down there and clear off the dining porch.  We don’t need to eat on the dining porch though, there will only be 4 of us.  8 if Bean’s family comes over - which is a cozy fit at the kitchen table.

I had the boys here today, but I don’t pick Bean up tomorrow.  He is sick and will stay home.  So I will stay longer at school before swimming and get everything together for the rest of the school week - at least that is my plan.

Tatoulia!

the boards have been broken.  Cory says they are working on them.

here is MY post from. Saturday morning!

Good morning!

tatoulia, I hope you are feeling better.

Buddy was into everything yesterday.  It was too wet to go outside and he bounced from thing to thing leaving chaos in his wake.  He did take a good nap, so I got a lot of it cleaned up then. He was still excited about the balloon I got him for his birthday and the chocolate cupcakes.

I also worked a little bit on the counter of doom, the basement, and laundry catchup after I returned him.  I am pretty tired this morning - even though I got almost eight hours of sleep! But I can see a little progress.

Here is where I am on the Legos -
the good deals have mostly dried up, which helps.  But I found a way to leverage them.  I am very bad about rewarding myself.  I either never get the reward, or decide the goal was too hard and let myself have it. (Or something like it that fills the same purpose). I have a medium sized wooden toy box and I have designated it the reward box and put Dh in charge of it.  And I have assigned myself points for a variety of actions I need to take regularly to improve my life (for example - if I do yoga all seven days - 2 points. Skip only one day - 1 point.). I have put all the Legos and books acquired in the last month and a piece of pottery I wanted and three new skirts into the reward box in sections divided into “small, medium, and large”.  Every Friday we add up my points and if I have at least six I get a small prize.  The points are banked, and when I have 25 I can turn them in for a medium prize, or 50 for a big prize (then that many get erased).  I didn’t get a prize the first week, but last night I added a Lego Puss and Boots minifigure to my collection and ten points to my total. (I really wanted a book, but this weekend is the most free time I have to get ready for dd2 and her SO, and I KNOW that if I have a new book I will read it.)

Most of the goals are health and wellness related, but the counter of doom is worth 5 points if I clear it and then two points for every Friday it is clear by the end of the day.  So hopefully if I am tempted to put something on it, I will think about all the treasures in the box and not.

also, the Legos and books (mostly from the little free library when I drop some off), and any other treats have to fit in the box - which is nearly full.  Currently I think it will take me about six months to redeem all my goodies, but I will need a few more small prizes before that.

WRITTEN ON SUNDAY

Subc!!!  My last two posts disappeared!!!!

yes that counts as one thing. And happy birthday to your darling grandson!!!!

Of course I’d love to come over and change the sheets and make the bed and do the laundry!  On my way!!

will keep this brief since my two in progress posts went missing.

Will be at office tmr. I still have no place to put my cookbooks. I only have five and they are all worth keeping, including my mother’s ancient Better Homes and Gardens.

I will clean the cat’s box and get garbage ready for tomorrow. I took a cat toy and a towel to the shelter today.  Yesterday I washed a quilt that had been in my closet and put it in my bed. It is getting cooler!  Which I love!  But the early sunsets-not a fan. 

Testing!  None of my posts went through yesterday!

Just popping in Tatoulia,

I’m swamped right now, but I’m very sorry you are in pain!  Be careful about diverticulitis.  My dad has been hospitalized with it twice!

I’m too tired to function tonight, so probably going to bed early.  In the morning have a lot of stuff to get together and a very full day.  Today I taught all day, then stopped by the grocery store, made cupcakes for Buddy’s birthday and ran a load of dishes.  I have his presents gathered, but not wrapped.

tomorrow - deliver eggs, teach, swim, pick up Bean, Bean and I set up a little party surprise for Buddy at their house, give Buddy his presents and then head home to either crash or dig out.  I also need to write a letter to a parent….

could you come to my house and make the beds nice? (I’m kidding.). Just try to come by regularly.  The more feedback I get, the more motivated I am to have something to report.  I put a little bag of “could be used for crafts” that I found in the cupboard when looking for cupcake papers into the trash - that’s one thing?