Messiest House Contest

On Wednesday, July 2 at 9 pm (and in reruns to come) the Style Network will reveal the winners of Clean House’s "Messiest Home in the Country" contest. The house that was chosen for the makeover belongs to a couple who have crammed it full of stuff they don’t need or use. In addition to being hoarders, the couple are not good at housekeeping and their house is falling apart around them. The house is beyond messy; it is uninhabitable.

People will see the TV show and will be horrified that anyone can live that way. Even the homeowners say they don’t know how things got as bad as they did. Anyone who continues to acquire unnecessary stuff can end up in the same situation. It is especially worrisome when it happens to people who can’t afford to pay for and take care of everything they acquire.

Without serious therapy, the couple on TV, and anyone else who has a problem with spending and accumulating, is not going to be able to change their habits. Clearing out your house and getting a new paint job is not going to solve long-standing issues. If you know someone who has these challenges and you want more information, see my previous post about hoarding and resources for working with hoarders.

Organized by Marcie: Getting you organized so you have time to do what you love to do!

Messiest House Contest

On Wednesday, July 2 at 9 pm (and in reruns to come) the Style Network will reveal the winners of Clean House’s "Messiest Home in the Country" contest. The house that was chosen for the makeover belongs to a couple who have crammed it full of stuff they don’t need or use. In addition to being hoarders, the couple are not good at housekeeping and their house is falling apart around them. The house is beyond messy; it is uninhabitable.

People will see the TV show and will be horrified that anyone can live that way. Even the homeowners say they don’t know how things got as bad as they did. Anyone who continues to acquire unnecessary stuff can end up in the same situation. It is especially worrisome when it happens to people who can’t afford to pay for and take care of everything they acquire.

Without serious therapy, the couple on TV, and anyone else who has a problem with spending and accumulating, is not going to be able to change their habits. Clearing out your house and getting a new paint job is not going to solve long-standing issues. If you know someone who has these challenges and you want more information, see my previous post about hoarding and resources for working with hoarders.

Organized by Marcie: Getting you organized so you have time to do what you love to do!

Be Prepared

It’s not just a scouting motto. Among other weather-related incidents in the last few weeks, my neighborhood has lost power and water service on different days. The water was out for less than 24 hours, but we were under a boil-water advisory for two days after service was restored. Stores ran out of bottled water early on the first day and people were angry that they couldn’t find water to buy.

As a former resident of Los Angeles, I always have my “earthquake bag” packed and ready to go. The supplies include water, cereal, crackers, granola bars, peanut butter, tuna in pouches, underwear, socks, toilet paper, first-aid kit and cash. In addition, I keep extra bottled water in my basement.

Because you never know what kind of emergency you will face, it is important to be at least minimally prepared. You don’t need to fill a bunker with provisions; start out with a duffel bag or backpack and fill it with three days’ worth of supplies (see http://www.ready.gov/america/getakit/index.html for a list). Food doesn’t last forever, so put a note on your calendar to rotate out the dry goods annually. Don’t wait until an emergency happens to take action.

Organized by Marcie: Getting you organized so you have time to do what you love to do!

Be Prepared

It’s not just a scouting motto. Among other weather-related incidents in the last few weeks, my neighborhood has lost power and water service on different days. The water was out for less than 24 hours, but we were under a boil-water advisory for two days after service was restored. Stores ran out of bottled water early on the first day and people were angry that they couldn’t find water to buy.

As a former resident of Los Angeles, I always have my “earthquake bag” packed and ready to go. The supplies include water, cereal, crackers, granola bars, peanut butter, tuna in pouches, underwear, socks, toilet paper, first-aid kit and cash. In addition, I keep extra bottled water in my basement.

Because you never know what kind of emergency you will face, it is important to be at least minimally prepared. You don’t need to fill a bunker with provisions; start out with a duffel bag or backpack and fill it with three days’ worth of supplies (see http://www.ready.gov/america/getakit/index.html for a list). Food doesn’t last forever, so put a note on your calendar to rotate out the dry goods annually. Don’t wait until an emergency happens to take action.

Organized by Marcie: Getting you organized so you have time to do what you love to do!

Be Careful What You Pay For

I recently received a postcard offering me BIG TAX SAVINGS! All I had to do was send the company $25 (plus $4 for shipping and handling) for a booklet providing me with “a convenient way to summarize and a proper way to value” my donations to charity.

Although they offer a MONEY BACK GUARANTEE! if I don’t save at least $250 more on my taxes next year, I would rather save my $29 and use the guidelines that are listed for free on websites like Salvation Army: http://www.satruck.com/ValueGuide.aspx
and Goodwill: http://www.goodwill.org/c/document_library/get_file?folderId=102123&name=DLFE-2302.pdf

The IRS is careful to say on its website that you may deduct “fair market value” for your donations, so make sure they are in good, usable condition and keep in mind that the value is what the average person would pay at a yard sale or thrift shop. For detailed information, see http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p561.pdf

Organized by Marcie: Getting you organized so you have time to do what you love to do!

Be Careful What You Pay For

I recently received a postcard offering me BIG TAX SAVINGS! All I had to do was send the company $25 (plus $4 for shipping and handling) for a booklet providing me with “a convenient way to summarize and a proper way to value” my donations to charity.

Although they offer a MONEY BACK GUARANTEE! if I don’t save at least $250 more on my taxes next year, I would rather save my $29 and use the guidelines that are listed for free on websites like Salvation Army: http://www.satruck.com/ValueGuide.aspx
and Goodwill: http://www.goodwill.org/c/document_library/get_file?folderId=102123&name=DLFE-2302.pdf

The IRS is careful to say on its website that you may deduct “fair market value” for your donations, so make sure they are in good, usable condition and keep in mind that the value is what the average person would pay at a yard sale or thrift shop. For detailed information, see http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p561.pdf

Organized by Marcie: Getting you organized so you have time to do what you love to do!

Now You See It, Now You Don’t

People frequently ask me how someone can live with clutter and not recognize it. The truth is that some people actually don’t see the clutter around them. Clutter generally takes some time to build up and when it becomes too much for the person to deal with, he or she learns to ignore it. After a while, the person becomes accustomed to the mess and doesn’t recognize it for what it is.

People don’t recognize their situation due to cognitive dissonance, which means that what one believes and what is true aren’t connected. Therefore, someone who lives in chaotic surroundings may believe that everything is fine until someone else calls attention to it.

While the person living with clutter may have some awareness of the problem, he or she hasn’t accepted it and is in a state of denial. In other words, the person has begun to accept the abnormal as normal. Often, it is too painful for the individual to think about the situation and when an outsider comments on the cluttered home or office, it may be easier to ignore the comment than to break the habit of ignoring the clutter.

If you know someone who resists facing clutter at home or work, realize that it is hard to change habits. You can help by asking what you can do to make the person more comfortable in making the change to a less cluttered environment.

Organized by Marcie: Getting you organized so you have time to do what you love to do!

Now You See It, Now You Don’t

People frequently ask me how someone can live with clutter and not recognize it. The truth is that some people actually don’t see the clutter around them. Clutter generally takes some time to build up and when it becomes too much for the person to deal with, he or she learns to ignore it. After a while, the person becomes accustomed to the mess and doesn’t recognize it for what it is.

People don’t recognize their situation due to cognitive dissonance, which means that what one believes and what is true aren’t connected. Therefore, someone who lives in chaotic surroundings may believe that everything is fine until someone else calls attention to it.

While the person living with clutter may have some awareness of the problem, he or she hasn’t accepted it and is in a state of denial. In other words, the person has begun to accept the abnormal as normal. Often, it is too painful for the individual to think about the situation and when an outsider comments on the cluttered home or office, it may be easier to ignore the comment than to break the habit of ignoring the clutter.

If you know someone who resists facing clutter at home or work, realize that it is hard to change habits. You can help by asking what you can do to make the person more comfortable in making the change to a less cluttered environment.

Organized by Marcie: Getting you organized so you have time to do what you love to do!