http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2011-07-13/hoarding
The Diane Rehm Show talks with experts on hoarding.
Nancy's Cocktail Hour Blog
Craft Room Organizing Tips
June 7, 2011 By
Disorganization leads to frustration and unfinished projects. Your craft room must have two elements; a work table and convenient storage of your supplies. For work tables you can use the back of a door supported with workhorses for legs or any number of tables from IKEA. One of my favorite tables is made from IKEA’s Expedit cubes. Put these units on either end of a table to act as legs with a table top and you’ve got a wonderful piece of furniture that’s functional and flexible Think about a table that allows you to stand and work. Again, the IKEA cubes with a table top work there, too. Crafting tables should only have the project you are working on and the supplies you need for the project. The mistake most people make is not having an adequate work surface. Be careful. Every flat surface is a magnet for clutter. Consider putting the work table in the middle of the room and your supplies around the outside and along the walls.
Give yourself a break. Stop using supplies that don’t work well even though they cost a lot of money. Isn’t it draining and frustrating to not have good working tools? Not worth the cost.
- use your closets more efficiently like this craft closet from The Container Store. Customized to fit your particular crafts with drawer divider inserts. The wrapping paper cart doesn’t have to be used for wrapping paper but I like having the ability to wheel it in and out of a closet.
Painting the walls of the closet dress it up and make it beautiful. Notice how the shelves allow you to use all the wall space which most crafters don’t use efficiently.
There are beautiful pegboard pictures that offer wonderful solutions for crafters at Pinterest. Spray paint the pegboard and add buckets, shelves, hooks, memo boards….Whatever type of craft you love, a pegboard can help you be organized.
Organizing Financial Documents
May 16, 2011 By
Organizing Your Financial Documents – Helpful Tips to make sure you keep what’s important, and get rid of what’s not..
By: Sloan Walters, Blakely Walters Wealth Management
1. How long should we keep paperwork documenting the purchase or sale of individual stocks?
If you invest in individual stocks and bonds in a brokerage account it is recommended that you keep the transaction confirmations and the statements that reflect the purchase until the securities are sold. While this may seem daunting there is good reasoning! Most investment companies will keep track of cost basis (how much you initially spent to purchase your investment) on your behalf. However, if you transfer your accounts to another institution the cost basis does not automatically transfer to the new company. This could put you in a stressful situation if you sell a security later on and do not have the information to prove your taxable gain or loss readily available. Financial institutions are only required to maintain records of your transactions for three years after an account is closed, so it’s best to keep a personal record also.
2. Year-end, quarterly, and monthly account summary statements are a snap shot of a person’s financial holdings. How long do you recommend keeping these summary account statements?
This depends on which types of accounts you own. If you are buying individual stocks and bonds in a non-qualified account I would refer to question #1 for a retention strategy. For accounts where cost basis is not as important (most retirement accounts) it’s safe to destroy monthly and quarterly summaries once you receive your annual summary. I always recommend holding on to annual summary reports as long as an account is open. If you close an account it’s safe to shred the corresponding statements after 3 years of the account being closed.
3. Do financial management companies usually charge a fee if a client needs them to look up personal account information in case they’ve shredded something they shouldn’t?
Each company will have different procedures in place depending on their service level. In my experience most investment companies generally will not charge a fee to look up personal account information as long as you are an existing customer. However, if you leave and have a lengthy request it is possible that you may be charged a fee to pay the company for their time.
4. How long do you keep a client’s financial information?
We are required to maintain client’s account statements and other personal information for at least 6 years after an account is closed. For an existing client I keep correspondence related to their accounts in some form indefinitely. This is a great reason to work with a financial advisor. Part of what my clients pay me for is being able to provide answers quickly in response to accounts I manage, so we have systems and secure technology in place to quickly be able to access information that might be needed in a timely manner.
5. Is there any other organization advice you feel is important to share?
I would strongly suggest signing up for electronic delivery for monthly/quarterly statements, and prospectuses (the 100+ page fund summaries written by attorneys) whenever possible. The more investments you own the more likely you are to experience kitchen counter chaos! Print and store any information related to cost basis for non-qualified brokerage accounts and work on developing a system to store the other files in your email account, or securely on your computer hard drive. Also, call each company you invest with and ask about their document retention policies. You might be surprised at what you can let go of!
Lastly, don’t neglect developing a strategy and purpose for every account that you own. If you hate the idea of doing this on your own I strongly suggest working with a financial advisor to help you walk through the steps. It’s important to be aware of how the money you have worked so hard to earn is working for you!
637 S. 48th Street, Suite 201
Tempe, Arizona 85281
(T) 480.776.5895
Securities and Investment Advisory Services offered through NEXT Financial Group, Inc., Member FINRA and SIPC
BLAKELY WALTERS WEALTH MANAGEMENT is not an affiliate of NEXT Financial Group, Inc.
Blakely Walters Wealth Management is registered to sell securities in Arizona, California, and Texas
Behind the Scenes
May 9, 2011 By
Decide if you are willing to change
Since the airing of “It’s A Freaking War Zone” for TLC’s Hoarding:Buried Alive, people have asked for a peak behind the scenes. I would never violate the Bob’s confidentiality so I won’t reveal anything that doesn’t apply in general to other clients.
There can be moments of anxiety and frustration because so many decisions need to be made in a short period of time. If these decisions had been easy, they would have been made long ago. People don’t like to explain hundreds of times why they want to keep something. For example, the broken pool part Bob’s son asked him about near the beginning of the show. It was hard to see why Bob would want to keep something that was obviously broken but Bob explained how he would cut off the end and attach a different piece to make it useful again to his clients. That scenario was played out hundreds of times during the course of the 4 weeks I was involved in the process. When you ask someone why they are keeping something in a tone that is exasperated and frustrated, people get defensive.
So how do I help if someone keeps telling me how every object can be useful? How do we make progress? It depends. Usually there are items that cause less friction to talk about so I steer the client in that direction in order to have some success in dealing with lower level anxiety. As trust is built up and they’ve been able to deal with the separation of some objects, we come back to the more difficult decisions. All the while, a hoarding client has to be in therapy because it really isn’t about the stuff but why they are hiding behind it.
As a professional organizer I’m in the trenches. The therapist figures out why and I figure out how to help the client move through their emotions and create the space everyone can live with.
Bob’s Steering Wheel
April 25, 2011 By
“Did Bob ever put the steering wheel on his truck?”, was the most often asked question after the season finale of Hoarding:Buried Alive, It’s a Freaking War Zone, which aired April 20. For those of you who didn’t see the show, Bob promised his son, Scott, he would have the steering wheel put on his truck in two weeks. Two problems with this particular promise: it was made under pressure and it was a priority for the son, not Bob. Scott was testing his dad to see if he could be trusted to keep his word. Once trust is broken, relationships are strained. Setting a deadline was critical because it set up a way to measure results.
During the four weeks in October, 2010 that I worked with Bob, the steering wheel was never discussed. I’d forgotten all about it until the final editing of the show made it an issue so I contacted Bob. He said, “Scott has been using my truck for the past five months and I’ve still not been able to get my schedule set with the mechanic to get that darn steering wheel on.”
A deadline that wasn’t treated like a deadline. A promise not kept.
Hoarding: What Can You Do To Help?
April 8, 2011 By
Dr. Travis Osborne worked with me on the Hoarding:Buried Alive episode, “It’s a Freaking War Zone”, on TLC airing April 20. Dr. Osborne, “How can people help a hoarder while being careful to take care of their own mental and emotional health?”
By: Travis L. Osborne, Ph.D., Staff Psychologist, Anxiety and Stress Reduction Center (ASRC) of Seattle
Research on hoarding and its treatment has increased significantly over the last 10-15 years. The difference between someone who has a lot of clutter and someone who has a hoarding problem lies in the degree of the clutter (hoarding is an extreme form of clutter) and the extent to which the clutter prevents the individual from using living spaces as intended. Hoarding leads to impairment in some form of functioning, such as social, work, or school, or impairs quality of life in a significant way.
Treatment for hoarding has improved a great deal over the last decade. To date, the most effective form of treatment is a type of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) that has been developed specifically for hoarding. Treatment includes:
1. reducing the excessive acquiring of items
2. sorting and discarding items no longer needed or for which there is no space in the home
3. developing organizational systems to help the individual store items that need to be kept
This treatment approach can be very effective; however, it involves a lot of hard work. It requires the individual to face and tolerate difficult thoughts (e.g. “What if I need this some day?” , “I’ll never get a deal like this again.”) and emotions of sadness, loss, and anxiety. Change is typically slow and often occurs in ups and downs. There is no medication that has been effective for reducing hoarding behaviors.
As a general rule, people with hoarding tendencies are hesitant to change. Family members are often the ones looking for treatment resources. Some family members feel so urgently that change is needed that they try to get rid of their loved one’s belongings in an effort to help. These efforts typically fail and only lead to more conflict and a reduced likelihood the individual will work on the hoarding problem.
What can you do to help?
- Educate yourself about hoarding and treatment. You have to be able to see the problem through their eyes. Excellent books about hoarding are available. Buried in Treasures by David Tolin, Randy Frost, and Gail Steketee describes the process of recovery from hoarding and provides advice for loved ones about how to support and assist with recovery. Stuff by Randy Frost and Gail Steketee vividly captures the different aspects of hoarding problems. Lastly, Digging Out by Michael Tompkins is an essential resource for families who have a loved one who refuses to acknowledge or work on a hoarding problem. The hoarding section of the website for the International Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Foundation (IOCDF) is an invaluable resource for up-to-date and scientifically valid information about hoarding and its treatment. www.ocfoundation.org.
- Take a non-confrontational approach. Instead of arguing or trying to convince someone to change, try to engage them in a conversation about the pros and cons of their behavior. If they can articulate any cons associated with the hoarding problem, summarize these and empathize with the concerns they raise. Empathize with how difficult it can be to make changes. Then, back off! It is better to have a series of positive conversations that lead to change over time than to push too quickly for change and risk them digging in.
- Set limits for yourself and your safety if you live with someone who hoards. It is okay to set limits around areas of the home that you use and need to be clutter-free. Start by figuring out what you are and are not willing to tolerate or accept. When setting limits, be sure not to argue, but simply state how you feel, what you are asking for, and what you will do if certain conditions are not met. Always give the other person warning if you plan to move their belongings so they have a change to move it first. Negotiating can be difficult, but it is important for you to take care of yourself even if your loved one is resistant to change.
- Establish clear and specific ground rules for helping. If the hoarder is willing to let you help sort and discard items, be sure to set very clear guidelines for how you will help BEFORE starting. If family members touch and throw away things without discussing it first, it can lead to significant conflict and may lead to an end to the process. Rules can include what is okay to touch, what is okay to discard without asking, and what actions must be approved. Once these ground rules have been developed, be sure to follow them exactly. Even small deviations can lead to distrust and prevent further progress.
If you educate yourself and learn new ways of communicating about and responding to the hoarding problem, family members can be an invaluable resource. The process of recovery from hoarding can be long and slow. Setbacks are common but change is possible.
Custom Tags and Labels
April 8, 2011 By
shipping label customized tag
One of my dear friends is professional organizer, Jill Graham, of Operation:Organize. Jill makes some of the tags her clients use in their organizing projects. She was kind enough to take the time to help inspire my readers to start making their own tags.
“Jill, I know you don’t like to use the label maker. How do you label a plastic container?”
If a client is using a plastic container, I print all my client’s labels on Avery computer labels using a wide variety of handwriting and/or unique fonts (a free service I provide to my clients).
“I love your handwriting but not everyone has the flair to write a pretty tag.”
I recommend finding a family member, friend or co-worker with beautiful handwriting to write on the tags. You can print your own tags. This allows you to print your title on the computer using handwriting fonts and then cut the paper to reassemble a tag. I often use a large sales tag as the template by tracing around it and then cutting it out. I hole punch the end and tie ribbon through it. I advise using cardstock or heavy weight paper unless you plan on laminating your tags. I use http://kevinandamanda.com/fonts/fontsforpeas/ and www.fontgarden.com
Child's Clothing Tag
“What are some inexpensive options?”
I re-purpose my child’s clothing tags which costs nothing. You can buy shipping tags and decorate them as well.
“What are some of your favorite tag projects?”
My favorite tag projects have been children’s rooms or playrooms because I can get really creative with sizes, shapes and colors. One of my most memorable projects was a boy’s closet. His room was decorated in a Suns basketball theme. I bought large round tags at the scrapbook store (also available at Michael’s, JoAnn’s or other craft type stores), used ink to color them orange and transformed them all into basketballs using permanent black marker. I attached them with twine. So cute!
“You recommend taking pictures of toys to identify a container to make it easier for a child to put away their toys. How do you affix the pictures to the container if there isn’t a place to loop a ribbon or twine?”I don’t normally affix the actual picture. The benefit to digital photography is that you can print your images onto anything. The quickest route is to insert the picture into an Avery tag layout with the word to the right or left of the picture. I back the label to a sales tag or scrapbook paper. If using scrapbook paper, I round the corners and hole punch it to make a t ag. Sometimes I just cut around the picture. Coming from the education field, it’s important to have the words on the tag to help them learn to read.”
Customizing your tags makes finding what you need easier and more beautiful. Share pictures of your tags with us! Thanks, Jill.
Organized in Two Minutes
March 9, 2011 By
get moving!
Set a timer for two minutes: ready, get set, go…..!
- delete emails – your Inbox is not a dumping zone
- throw out stuff in your junk drawer or don’t call it a junk drawer
- don’t keep expired medication – prescribed or otherwise
- set up a trash can so when you get out of your car, you can dump car trash right away
- take two minutes and make a decision on something that’s been hounding you
Ring the Bells
February 17, 2011 By
Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack in everything
That’s how the light gets in
Leonard Cohen
Dr. Timothy Pychyl sites these words from the song, Anthem, in his article on perfectionism for Psychology Today.
http://bit.ly/cIi3cI
Absolutely Fabulous, Sensible, Free Advice
February 11, 2011 By
- Put your clothes away when you take them out of the dryer. No more stacks of laundry on the couch.
- Stop subscribing to magazines you don’t read. If last month’s magazine hasn’t been read and you have this month’s, time to unsubscribe.
- Give yourself time to think. When asked to volunteer say, “Let me get back to you.”
- Make decisions faster.
- Purge old files. Those old files are weighing you down and taking up valuable space. Dust off the shredder, pour yourself a cocktail or cup of coffee, and get to it.
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