Organizing Projects

Hoarding Habits as we age…

by Filed Under: Organize, Organizing Projects, Systems & Techniques

A little more than a week ago our local chapter of NAPO had a local mental health counselor come and speak with our members about helping clients with hoarding habits. Clients with Hoarding Habits are not my typical clientele…but there are several circumstances that I knew the client was on a deadline and the family was in a tight spot. Under the right circumstances I’ve helped quite a few clients with hoarding habits.

Hoarding was first discovered and labeled as such in 1947 in NYC when two brothers were found diseased under a pile of stuff in their home. Today it is estimated that over 3 million people suffer from “hoarding” and many go without treatment or diagnosis. This is not a disorder people are born with.

This project began with an intervention…this was the first time I was asked to be a part of an intervention. I had not yet met the client and was not involved in the decision to begin this way. The family took the approach they felt was best and there was a lot at stake and not much time to act. This client was a senior living in a senior facility…they knew she was a bit of a “pack rat” but the problem had escalated to put her health and safety in jeopardy. This is not unusual for clients with hoarding habits, especially senniors and I’ve since worked with several other seniors under extreme health and safety circumstances, I felt compelled to help with the support of the family. Each circumstance is different and I believe that though family, friends and professional organizers can help to a certain extent, mental health professionals are the most important tool for helping clients with hoarding habits.

Common circumstances or signs of (seniors or others) hoarding habits include:

Hazardous or risky living conditions including loss of power, running water, old/expired/moldy food, human or animal waste or bug infestations.
A tenancy to dis-associate with the problem, including assigning blame to others, making excuses for their behavior or justifying their behavior as “normal”.
“Save it” mentality (but not necessarily the critical thinking to know what’s valuable and what’s not).
Denial of any problem or in-ability identify problems.
Anger or agressiveness towards people who attempt to help them get rid of items they do not need.
Obsessive or compulsive tenancies (there are some different opinions regarding hoarding and OCD).
Depression or anxiety (this can be another sign but isn’t in and of itself a trigger)
Poor coping skills and lack of emotional regulation.
Excessive collecting of a variety of items that there is no rhyme or reason to (dolls, bottles, foil, containers, other collectibles etc)…not all collecting is hoarding!

I’m not a psychiatrist or counselor and I do not make a diagnosis of a hoarding disorder, but I can still understand behavior patterns that are warning signs that can lead to hoarding. Most importantly, I can be there to help support my clients in the process of learning to make healthy choices, recognizing their repeated behavior patterns and seeking the help of their family (if they are willing), mental health professionals and others who can support them as they try to heal and unpack their behavior.

Both this and other clients I’ve worked with had no choice once confronted with the family and director of the facility. It’s not uncommon when hoarding habits get severe that these individuals or families facing losing their home if they don’t get help. This is never an ideal situation and I wish for their sake it had not come to this.

When I work with clients with hoarding habits I am compassionate while maintaining healthy boundaries and am clear that “clutter” can not be allowed back into the home. Maintaining this is something that should be done with the help of mental health professional who will know the triggers and signs of relapse.

With this project, the client was getting a total apartment renovation with new floors, new paint, appliances and some new furniture. We (the family and I) remain positive and tried to make the experience as stress free as possible while keeping physical and mental challenges in mind. Working with seniors requires awareness of health conditions and they may tire more easily and have significant physical limitations. Below are photo’s of before, during and after of this small studio apartment.

Above is the main living area before we began. The center and perimeters of the room were stacked with furnishings and boxes (of mostly papers and junk). There were furnishings obstructing the main pathway and the closet was inaccessible. Her newly renovated apartment has open floors, much less furniture and is clean and freshly painted.

Bathroom and entry hallway. In the before photo’s you can see that the path was obstructed with furniture and clutter. This is a safety (trip) and fire hazard and one of the key things to look for in determining if someone has hoarding tenancies. The bathroom was almost completely unusable with boxes and clothing piled up in the shower and on top of the toilet. I’m not sure how this woman used her own facilities, perhaps she didn’t and used the public restroom but this is not a healthy or safe environment for anyone, much less a senior.

Finally the pictures above show the main living area looking into the kitchen. The floors had various rugs that were big trip hazards and the clutter was obstructing half of the kitchen. The bottom left photo shows a small portion of the trash that we hauled out on day two and the bottom right shows the clean and renovated kitchen with new appliances.

This project was finished in three days and I did some of the work on my own but also had the help of the family. It was important for me to establish trust with the client before the family worked with us. By them getting involved with the project hands on, they were able to better understand where they may need to monitor and help maintain hoarding habits in the future.

The follow through on their part will be critical in helping this client maintain this new, healthier environment. As is usually the case, the client was not overly thrilled with having to let go of many of her belongings but in the end we kept everything she was most attached to (of both practical and sentimental value).

If you suspect that a family member is living in unhealthy hoarding conditions consider speaking with a professional (psychiatrist, psychologist or counselor with hoarding experience) before taking steps to intervene. Much of the time can be relapse, which can be frustrating for everyone but in some cases the immediate health and safety needs have to come first.

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Back to School Prep | Toss & Tidy Up

by Filed Under: Kids & Family Organizing, Organize, Organizing Projects, Systems & Techniques, Tips & Resources Leave a Comment

It’s time for back to School prep and it’s a great to toss and tidy up before the school year begins. They’ve had a fun summer filled with play, maybe some camps projects and book reading assignments. I’m sure everyone is excited to be headed back to school, some more than others and before you head out to shop for supplies, lets get toys, rooms and supplies you already have in order first.

Did those notebooks, textbooks and book bags languishing in the closet, play room, kitchen or their bedrooms? If so, you never know what you might find growing by now, arm yourself if necessary!

This should take no more than 30 min’s for most grade and high school kids and I recommend doing it within the first week of school ending but if it didn’t happen at the end of school, it’s a great way to help get in the mindset for back to school now! Have them gather their book bag/backpack, any supplies and textbooks in their room or anywhere else they study. Put them all in a pile, on the floor, their bed (lots of kids like to work on their bed-it’s comforting) or a table/desk.

Back to School Prep | Pitch It

Remove the contents of bags and backpacks (if you didn’t do this at the beginning of the summer). Evaluate the condition of the bag and reusable supplies.
Go through notebooks and remove anything that you or your kids want to keep (for sentimental reasons or other), add these to a sentimental box (each child should have their own, separate from the parents).
Recycle papers, notes and notebooks no longer needed.
Gather books to return to the school, hand down to younger kids or donate to a library.
Save supplies that can be re-used in one area and before you shop for back to school, check here first!

Back to School Prep | Supplies

Shop school supplies you have on hand before you head to the store. It might not feel as exciting, but with younger kids you can create a “store” and offer to exchange some kind of reward for items “purchased” at home. This will help teach and reinforce the value of reuse and recycling. As kids get older, I find most of them are pretty keenly aware and want to re-use/not waste materials!

Shelves, cabinets, closets and basket systems, all work great depending on your space and needs. Just be sure it’s easy for you and your kids to get to. If they are older, they may want to keep some of their favorite supplies in their room, otherwise they can all go in one place.

Back to School Prep | Toys

This might not be something a lot of parents think about at back to school time but games, toys and crafts can collect and then languish in the lost corners once school begins. So it’s really the perfect time to asses what toys and games your kids are still using and donate what they have out grown. Craft and art projects can be stored in sentimental bins or just snap a photo (which you can always print later) and let it go! Keep only their favorites and rotate what is kept out because there won’t be as much time for games and toys.

I’ll share my tips about Back to school prep for your kids wardrobe and shopping for supplies in the next couple posts! Happy Back to School Prep!!

Why do I need a Home Inventory?

by Filed Under: Kids & Family Organizing, Organize, Organizing Projects, Planning & Goals, Systems & Techniques, Tips & Resources, Uncategorized Leave a Comment

Do you have a plan for disasters and know you need a home inventory? Whether you have one started or have nothing at all read on to learn why you need a home inventory and how to protect your assets. If your looking at this and scratching your head wondering what I’m even talking about, just stick with it and see what you learn…

Almost all of us need a home inventory, whether we are renting or own our homes or businesses. If you have insurance, you need an inventory. Sadly, a lot of people have the attitude that they pay insurance so who cares and why would they need a home inventory!?! But there are so many irreplaceable things and all the little stuff really adds up. By having a home inventory your saving yourself a huge potential headache, hours of time or worse out of pocket expenses lost down the drain.

When I became a professional organizer, I began to learn all about the different home inventory systems and tools available. I also began to assist clients with creating inventory systems both before and after disasters (unfortunately, mostly flooding, some theft). Trust me when I say, you do not want to have to inventory your stuff after it’s been damaged or try to remember what’s missing! It’s not the insurance companies duty to take your word for all your expensive assets. If you can’t prove you owned it (meaning tracking down receipts or charges, photo’s or other documentation) you may loose it all together.

What do you need to inventory? The quick answer is everything! You are probably thinking this will take ages and depending on how much detail you want to include, it could be a significant undertaking but really not so bad if you take it step by step, room by room.

Without an inventory you could end up with a mess on your hands! Don’t get stuck sorting toilet plungers from kitchen utensils, holiday decor and more to figure out how much you’ve got and what needs to be replaced!

Since I’ve worked extensively on creating inventory for insurance claims here’s what you need to know. Photo’s are your friends! Spread sheets are super helpful and may prevent you from having to fill out additional information in the event of an insurance claim. But there are other systems out there that are super helpful and can do more for you than just a home inventory.

As the well known Sheryl Sandberg quote goes “Done is better than perfect.” So true in the case of an inventory! Just having photo’s is better than nothing!

Home Zada is one of the most comprehensive home management tools out there and does everything from home maintenance reminders to home inventory. If your on the serious side of protecting your valuable assets, I can’t recommend a better way to manage it all in one place! This is a cloud based option so you won’t loose it if you loose your computer!

Another great comprehensive but inexpensive system is Liberty Street Home Manage software (also cloud based). It’s under $50 and allows you to enter all the important documentation and photo’s for all your assets (at multiple locations).

Several insurance companies have their own systems, so ask your insurance agent what they offer! It will probably be free and give them everything needed if you ever had to make a claim.

If you like tech options, Encircle Inventory for Homeowners is a free app (for the 1st property) you can use on your phone or tablet, taking pictures and uploading info as you go. Home Contents is another (UK Based) app that makes home inventory a snap with your digital camera in phone. And finally in the app department, My Stuff has several free and paid options with great features for adding items to folders, tagging etc for easier sorting and organizing.

If you prefer to stick with a spreadsheet style inventory, just do a quick search for Home Inventory Checklist to find quite a few good options available for free. Most of these are templates that you can download and use on your computer/device.

Home inventory Checklists hekp you to understand what information will be most valuable in the case of an insurance claim. A good idea of the information insurance companies would like to have follows. The more info you can provide, the more accurate your claim and reimbursement will be. But it may not be necessary to have all the information below. Again, “Done is better than perfect!”

List items by room- This will help qualify content damage when structural damage has been done
Include a basic description
Make/model
Serial or ID number
Quantity
Assign value (replacement value will be paid-based on current market value-ex. electronics that may have cost you $500 might be replaceable for $200 today)
Date purchased
Receipt if available
Reference photo’s

Spreadsheet systems (I’ve used comprehensively with insurance agents to recover contents lost) can be clunky and its difficult to quickly see photo’s of items with their description. Another drawback is that unless you backup your computer or device, you run the risk of loosing your inventory (photo’s and checklist) along with your contents in case of a disaster!

If a home inventory is something you want help setting up, let me know and I’d be glad to assist!

No matter what system you choose, I hope you will make a plan, schedule it on your calendar and start your home inventory today!

Cultivating a Green Thumb

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Are you cultivating a green thumb and want a potting area for all your gardening supplies? Or maybe you feel you have tried and failed because you just didn’t have the right tools and knowledge in place? If you are ready to whip your garden area and tools into shape for the most beautiful and successful spring garden, read on!

Your gardening supplies and growing area can be indoor or out. Thank about your garage, a greenhouse, shed or a sunny spot in the house. For loads of inspiration, head over to my Garden, Storage and Organizing boards on Pinterest.

To begin, determine the area where you can conveniently store gardening supplies. Whether your in a condo or small space and plan to learn to better care for your indoor or patio garden or you are a master gardener planning to start seeds and do extensive gardening, some common sense storage tips and best practices for maintain tools will go a long way towards cultivating a green thumb!

Once you have determined where you can set up your gardening space, start by clearing out the area of anything that doesn’t belong or assigning zones for the space to keep like items together. If the space is shared, how else do you use it?

In this initial planning and research phase, wait to make those purchases until you have sorted, purged and determined your layout and needs.

Will you be starting seeds and need shelves, lighting and seed storage? Take a quick inventory of what you have and what you need while determining where you will do these activities or store the supplies and tools, either permanently or seasonally. List categories and quickly sketch “Zones” including measurements to determine what will fit before making larger purchases such as shelving, lighting, pegboards or other necessary supplies. Don’t overlook functionality (power access, mobility), lighting (windows, existing fixtures) and frequency of use (for each category). Try to keep systems modular if possible so they can be re-configured as needed.

Gather your supplies; gloves, bags and boxes (for giveaway and trash/recycling), sticky notes, permanent markers, label maker/labels, a variety of storage bins, various hooks (command and lg ‘ladder’ hooks) and any shelves or other items you need to install. Start with what you have and make a list of smaller storage and organizing tools you will need as you go.
Sort; I suggest working clockwise in the space (just easier to remember and follow this path with all organizing projects). Work your way around the room or space one wall at a time around sorting items into keep, donate and toss.
Repair & Clean the space as you go and make basic repairs/maintenance updates and taking note of damaged items and things that need to be cleaned. If you have time to do garden tool maintenance now, great! Garden tools should be cleaned, sharpened and oiled on a regular basis. This site has everything you need to know about maintaining your gardening tools!
Group items by category into bins or zones, and if you don’t have an immediate way to store/re-install an item make a note and set the item in the general zone where it needs to be stored and come back to it. If you are able to move everything out to a holding area (the lawn, a patio, middle of the garage etc) then keep things grouped by categories (potting tools, garden equipment, seed starting, hand tools etc) in bins to be returned when ready.
Install hooks, shelves, containers etc. This can be done one wall or zone at a time or with the whole space if it’s been cleared.
Return items to their new homes, this might require grouping and labeling items into bins, installing pegboards or slat walls with hooks, simple hooks or nails, shelving, bins/baskets etc.
Maintain, the most often overlooked step in all organizing projects! This will not put themselves back so you will have to do this, as well as clean, repair and replace plants and garden tools as needed.

Storage Tips: Go vertical and don’t forget overhead storage space! Make sure these systems are well secured!! Give them a good tug to make sure things don’t come tumbling down when you or the kids go to grab something.

Keep heavy and more frequently used items lower to the ground (but make sure they are water proof if necessary) and lighter and less frequently used or more dangerous tools mounted up high for safety.

Keep it practical! Your garden work space doesn’t have to look like a magazine shoot, it just has to be tidy, easy to use and functional!

I hope these tips will help you to cultivate a green thumb for all your planting projects this spring! Get out in your garden! What are you planting this Spring? Please share in the comments below!

Love or Loath Laundry? Quick Laundry tips

by Filed Under: Closets, Home, Kids & Family Organizing, Organize, Organizing Projects, Systems & Techniques, Tips & Resources 1 Comment

Do you love or loath laundry? I don’t mind it but I know for so many people Laundry is not about love, at all! That’s why I work with my clients to create a laundry schedule, including what I to keep on top of weekly laundry tasks.

In creating a laundry schedule I ask a few questions to help determine what the best household action plan for doing laundry…here are some questions you can use to create your own laundry schedule.

How many household members? How many loads of laundry per person per week do you generate?
How many “able bodied” people do you have do delegate laundry to? Kids age 10+ should start learning to help with laundry, including having a laundry basket in their room, helping to bring laundry to the washer/dryer, helping to sort, fold and put laundry away.
Do you have a cleaning person that helps with laundry? If so, what day do they come and what laundry tasks do they do or could you delegate to them (sheets and towels or more)?
Do you and your kids do sports activities or work that generates extra dirty (stinky:() laundry? If so, how soon after these activities do you need to wash things (to re-use or prevent smells)?
Do you take a lot of things to the dry cleaner? If so, do you have a pick up drop off service or is this something your drycleaner offers?
Do you have a lot of ironing, do you like to iron?

With all this info in your back pocket, calculate how many loads need to be done per week and who will do them. Then, take a look at your weekly schedule and assign laundry tasks by the date to yourself or other household help (kids, spouse, cleaning helpers etc).

I change and wash whites, or linens (towels, sheets and the oddball other white items) on Wednesdays and thus the term Wednesday Whitewash! Maybe doing a couple loads mid weeks and more on the weekends makes sense to you and with your schedule or maybe your weekends are busy with family activities and your better off tackling one load per evening through the week.

Keep Laundry Contained

In my observation, many people do not have laundry baskets, have them where they need them (in the bedroom, bathroom or closet) or seem to use them at all! I find laundry in piles on the floor, draped over furniture, hanging form hooks, light fixtures and everywhere else you can imagine. If you don’t know what’s clean and what’s dirty, you will constantly be re-washing items or at least giving your nose a workout with the sniff test. Keep dirty laundry contained in a basket or bag and use this to take laundry to your laundry area and then sort (or buy bins with sorting compartments if you have room). There are tons of great laundry basket options, like these available…so measure your space and determine what/how many you need and invest!

Minimize Maintenance

When you buy new clothes, think about their laundry requirements.

Sort laundry by color and by weight. I don’t like to wash my husbands heavy duty work pants with my delicate tops or undergarments (which should be in a bag). Sort weekly loads by dark/light/white and weight. This helps keep clothes looking newer longer.

Do you love linen but hate ironing? Maybe these things should be kept for less frequent use or sent to the dry cleaner?

Keep it Green Clean

Do you dislike using dry cleaners because of the chemicals? If so, look for a green cleaner in your area. While we are talking about green options, look for cleaning products that are phosphate free and use minimal scents and chemicals (though there seem to be more an more products on the market to mask odor-that doesn’t mean it’s really clean!). This might seem obvious but wash things only when needed. If you’ve only worn something for a couple hours, didn’t sweat or spill on it, then wear it again before laundering. This is not only going to save you time, it will keep your clothes looking new longer and will save resources (water power etc).

Consider hanging delicate, knits and lightweight items to dry (like the French do!). I use a collapsible laundry rack to dry about 1/3 to 1/2 of every laundry load, it takes a bit more time to dry but it keeps my clothes fro wearing out as quickly and saves energy. When it comes to stains, do pre-treat as soon as possible and if your really stain prone, check out these stain specific products (not all stains are alike!) by Carbona.

Any way you schedule it, whether you love or loath laundry, having this household task in perpetual motion will keep you from melting or collapsing under this task mountain!