A & E Hoarders :: Me & “Kim”!

Earlier this year, I was in contact with the always awesome Geralin Thomas, Professional Organizer and one of the stars of A & E’s hit show Hoarders.  Geralin said she was doing a shoot here in my area and would I be interested in participating as an organizer on the show.  Let me think about that (nano-second later)…um…yeah!

Gathering up a crew of talented organizers nearby, we grabbed our label makers (my favorite Brother PT1290 Home and Office Labeler), bins (I usually use Rubbermaid Roughneck Storage Boxes)and Sharpies, and headed out to the site.  Our client, Kim, was an absolute delight to work with:  motivated, positive and ready to make a change.

The best part, besides working with Kim, was the behind the scenes peek into what goes on to make the show.  I’ve always watched it but wondered about how long it took and how many people were involved and where the drama comes from.  Had my questions answered here.  Envision 11 Professional Organizers, 1 therapist, a bunch of 1-800-Got-Junk guys, and what seemed like a dozen or more camera crew & staff from the show.  All in a 2 bedroom condo!  Plus they work with the client for a while before to make plans & preparations, as well as with the therapist and camera crew.

Click here to watch the episode!

When we arranged to work with Kim, we all were assigned areas that we specialize in or prefer.  I happen to love smaller spaces so I ended up in the bathroom & closet.  Many organizers were relieved they weren’t ‘cooped up’ in there but I loved it.  Sorting through all the hairsprays, jewelry, soaps, toothbrushes – and let me tell you – there were a LOT.  Did you see the toothbrushes on the show?? After gaining Kim’s trust with making decisions about what could be thrown out and what should be kept, progress was quickly made.

If you watched the show (or have watched previous episodes), you can see that things move quickly – and normally when I organize with clients – we work at their pace – so this was a change because people with hoarding issues also have difficulty making decisions.  Luckily, Geralin is such a pro and Kim was really ready to make a change.

So as I’m watching the show, I kept thinking, WHAT? When did that happen??  Being in the bathroom for 2 full days made me miss quite a bit.  But it also gave me the opportunity to really work with Kim, and get insights into her personality.  The weirdest thing that would happen is that I would be sorting & purging & containerizing (it’s a technical term) & labeling, then would glance up and there would be this huge camera lens in my face!  And then they put one of those close ups on national TV!  Aaack.  Personally I was surprised I had as much screen time as I did – but was really glad all the organizers involved were able to get a moment of fame.  I just wanted a minute of brag time!

Some observations:

• People who hoard or compulsively shop or keep things that don’t make sense to the rest of us are not deliberately trying to infuriate those around them.  Their brains are just wired differently, and the ability to make decisions is skewed in such a way that what may be an easy call for you or me may be like ripping out the soul of someone else.
• Hoarders see their things as precious, no matter what they are.  Stuff that I see as garbage or junk may be invaluable to them.  And I’m talking about plastic cups, faded clothing. scraps of paper or broken china.
• For many of the hoarders, and ‘collectors’, I’ve worked with, every item they touch – touches them.  Each thing brings back a memory, a feeling, a place of self.  They have such value – not monetarily but emotionally.
• Another one of the biggest factors is the fear of letting something go because they might need it someday.  I think this is common in many of us but with hoarders, it is taken to an extreme.
• Many hoarders feel that they have a responsibility to ‘care’ for objects.  If something was given to them, then it is theirs to take care of forever, as if it would injure the person who gave it to them if they let it go.

Some before & after pics:

and after . . .

"Kim" bathroom before

Me working on the Hoarders shoot.

Some more pics from the shoot.  I have to mention that while the closet still looks crowded, it is a bit misleading because of how much was removed and discarded (over 65 bottles of hairspray alone), but also how much extra was brought in and stored from other parts of the house.  Every time I thought I was done with hair care products or cosmetics or toothbrushes, someone would walk in with another box!  The big box at the lower left in the after photo is there for future organizing – gifts for friends that needed a home.  I worked with Kim at a later session and we created a gift closet area in another room so there is now free space there.

Bathroom closet before

Bathroom closet after

So I”ve continued to work with Kim at several more sessions, and she is making really good progress.  She’s super motivated to get her life in order and it’s been fun working with her.

Recently we worked on creating a computerized database of business cards so she doesn’t have to dig through hers to find the one she needs, and re-did her hall closet for tools, cleaning supplies and games.  It will be a lifelong struggle but I have confidence she will succeed.

PS Thanks to fellow organizer, Tanna Clark, for the great pictures – her camera and photo skills rock!

Like with like … that’s all I’m sayin’

I’ve been organizing for such a while now that I sometimes worry that what I’m harping on explaining to my clients is too simplistic or should be obvious.  Then I realize, usually from either the glazed look in their eyes or the look of awe and wonder, that yes, I need to explain that we group items together that are alike.

Here’s what I find a lot when I start a project:

• lots of stuff packed in boxes or on shelves
• random items strewn around that were never put away (mostly because there wasn’t a place to put them)
• drawers crammed full of things
• comments of “oh, I wondered where that was!” or “I forgot we even had that!”

Here’s what you do:

• empty out the areas full of stuff
• group items together that have a common theme
• discard any items you don’t need or want
• contain the items in a bin or basket or on a shelf or in some manner where they are together

The key here is LIKE WITH LIKE.  This means put the pens with the pens, the sweaters with the sweaters, the serving platters with the serving platters.

Now it’s ok to mix pens and pencils (both writing instruments) or have a bin with office supplies such as tape, scissors and post it notes.  But the key is usage.  If you use items for a similar purpose – then group them together and store them together.

Being organized is about finding what you need when you need it.  Grouping like with like and storing them in logical places (read: where you use it) makes this happen.

Friends Don’t Give Friends Clutter For Christmas

An off the cuff tweet has morphed into a full blown post about clutter and the holidays!  In fact, my tweet “Friends don’t give friends clutter for Christmas” was Rubbermaid’s “Tweet of the Week“!

I was at TJ Maxx today looking for some tights to go with a dress for an upcoming holiday party and was watching people rush around clutching ceramic Santas, festive candles, holiday Barbies and other gift-like items.  And I have to wonder – where does it all go?   And is the recipient really, well, thrilled?

How many presents have you received that you just wondered what on earth you were going to do with it?  Or wracked your brain trying to find that perfect gift and ending up with a tie and sweater or a weird tchotchke (that’s any small knickknack that some people really think are cute and most people think are hideous and annoying)?   And how much stuff does your kid get that ends up broken and discarded within a week?

This is a hard subject because I don’t want to come off sounding sanctimonious or “holier than thou”.  While I’d prefer to reduce or eliminate the incessant trading of stuff at every drop of a hat, this isn’t likely to happen nor should it always be so.  Sometimes, a gift is just the right thing in a situation.  But just think, for a moment, what kind of gift would truly be appreciated.

One that doesn’t have to be cleaned or maintained.

One that doesn’t take up space.

One that will not end up in a landfill, thrift shop or only brought out when you visit.

One that really shows the giver that some thought was put into the choice of gift.

In that vein, here are some ideas to get you started:

• consumables like wine, or locally produced foods such as chocolates, honey or fruit
• tickets to a movie, concert or theatre production
• dining gift certificate to a favorite restaurant (preferably a locally owned one)
• gift certificate for a massage or some other sort of pampering
• gift certificate for a task that the recipient keeps putting off or isn’t able to do themselves: a handyman service to fix the gutters, a car detailer that comes to the house, a house cleaner to scrub from top to bottom
• gift certificate for time – with a Professional Organizer, a fitness coach, a wardrobe consultant, an appraiser, whomever might be someone whose service could be really used and appreciated
• family pass to a zoo, science center, children’s museum, art museum, etc.
• for parents – a free night (or more!) of babysitting so they can go on a real date

For myself, I am gifting my husband two hours with a master gardener for Christmas this year – he loves to root plants and salvage half dead ones.  The man has an amazing green thumb yet doesn’t know half of what he’s got.  So this time will be wonderfully spent where he loves to be with someone who knows his stuff.  And I badgered my husband hinted nicely for a spa package that includes a massage, facial and pedicure.  Not that I’m being particular or anything.  Just, you know, precise.  But it’s something that a. I wouldn’t likely do for myself, and b. would actually get used, and c. doesn’t need dusting.

And on that vein, when did all this gifting (especially for kids) get so out of hand?  Think twice before purchasing stuff, and really give thought to whom should really be on the receiving end.  And be mindful about what you are gifting – is it useful and welcome – or just another dust catcher?

Personally, I don’t want or need any more crap stuff in my house – I like it the way it is – and if I really love something or need it desperately, chances are, I’ll get it myself when I need it.  So do yourself a favor and don’t do so much shopping for stuff – but do some thinking about the spirit of the season.  End of rant.

The Story Of Stuff: timely and fascinating video about, well, stuff

I came across this video “The Story Of Stuff” on twitter (thanks @organizergal), and thought it was just terrific. I often talk to people (whether they want to or not) about how much stuff there is in the world, in their homes and in their lives. Most of my job is helping people either get rid of, or store, stuff. This little movie explains where stuff comes from, how it is made and where it goes. It’s pretty hard core on the environmental bashing and social issues of large corporations and the government, not that there’s anything wrong that, I say.

Here’s the blurb from the site:

“From its extraction through sale, use and disposal, all the stuff in our lives affects communities at home and abroad, yet most of this is hidden from view. The Story of Stuff is a 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns. The Story of Stuff exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues, and calls us together to create a more sustainable and just world. It’ll teach you something, it’ll make you laugh, and it just may change the way you look at all the stuff in your life forever.”

Check it out: http://www.storyofstuff.com/

guest post on Small Notebook: kids gifts minus the “stuff”

I recently wrote a guest blog post on one of my favorite blogs, Small Notebook, about gifts for kids that don’t involve stuff like plastic toys from China and shopping at Target or Walmart. Here’s the link and I hope you enjoy: Great Gifts for Kids That Don’t Involve “Stuff”

This is also a great blog to subscribe to – always interesting and well written (and I’m not just talking about my post . Check it out!