Have you seen
Hoarders? It's a reality show on the A & E Network about, well, hoarders. LOL In other words, these are folks who take messy to a whole new level. Now, I don't have cable, but we recently bought a BLU-RAY player which came with a free subscription to
Netflix. I'd always wanted to see the show, and Netflix has it as an instant download, so this was my big chance to watch it.
Wow.
I thought I was a messy gal. I AM a messy gal. I have messy kids. But I am not a hoarder. I don't have a house full of expired food, empty wine bottles, rotten pumpkins, or dead cats. So, watching Hoarders should make me feel better, right? WRONG! Know why? Because I see that I have great potential! LOL What drives these people to become hoarders lives in me. Yes, I have self-diagnosed myself as having hoarder tendencies. Here's a list I've come up with as to why I feel this way.
- I'm frugal.
- I'm sentimental.
- I procrastinate.
- I'm disorganized.
- I'm a people pleaser and just WAY too nice. (Hear the kids snickering?)
Because of these things I tend spend hours cleaning with little tangible results. Now, if I have a few hours I can make this place fairly presentable for company. The four main rooms on the main floor pretty much get cleaned every day. They never get so bad that we can't tidy them up with a little concentrated effort. That being said, I still rarely have anyone over. It's just too darn stressful for me. Another problem I have is that I tend to put off fun stuff, like getting together with friends, visiting relatives, or just going to the park because "I should really just stay home and clean." My house is like a ball and chain that keeps me tied down. I need to really take a look at that list above and figure out a way overcome these issues so that I can be free. My house should serve me, not the other way around.
Will you join me for this journey? Maybe you're have a little bit of hoarder in you too, or maybe even a lot! Or maybe you used to and have overcome. Or maybe you don't get this at all and can just be here to encourage me to keep on keepin' on! My plan is to do a little series on what is causing me to be a messy and what I can do about it. I have no real plan, I'm just winging it, but I do plan to check in a few times a week to let you know my progress. I do hope you'll come along beside me. I always work better with a friend. :)
Posts
Hi, Crazy Mom!
ReplyDeleteEveryone in my family has a tendency to hoard. Regular purging helps as did our move to Alaska with a BIG pre-move purge.
Watching that show elicits 2 responses by my family. My boys say "see, our house isn't THAT bad." while hubby and I say "but the messes we have are just the beginning of that slippery slope!"
That's exactly what my kids said to me! But I keep telling them, well, no, but there are places in the house that ARE that bad. Little hoarder pockets. LOL Like the top of my dresser. :)
ReplyDeleteOh I do believe that you started this series for me!!!!
ReplyDeleteWe've also watched Hoarders on Netflix and it has but fear in my heart! Hubby and I both are "clutterbugs" (see, doesn't that sound cuter than hoarder?!!! :)And that show has really made me crazy!!! I can totally see us being hoarders one day...well, okay maybe not with expired food, dead cats or rumaging roadents, but certainly with paper, BOOKS!!!!!! (Hello, we homeschool!!), magazines and such!! Extra craft items,cause ya know, I might have time one day!!
Honestly though that show has prompted some great cleanouts here!!! We've whittled away the clutter quite considerably these last few months...hubby still likes to tease me however and call me a book hoarder. I say it's for the good of the children...he says it's hoarding!!
Oh, and accepting things that we don't need...yup, me too!! Too nice to say no!! Sigh...I'll be watching your blog!!!
Great idea!!
OMGosh!!! We have the start of a whole new reality! Homeschooling Hoarders!!! Yes, yes, yes. Books is a huge one here. I have just two large bookcases and about 4 or 5 cases worth of books! LOL And papers, and school projects too. Clothes is another big one. Too funny. :)
ReplyDeleteOkay~Crazy Mom!
ReplyDeleteHOW DID you know I was watching Hoarders this week? Did you know it's on Hulu.com and also there's more programs such as HOARDERS: BURIED ALIVE on TLC?? Okay, with this, I'm hoping for some pics, Sister! I'm working it over in my life too. That TLC site has resources AND also diagnosis info if anyone wants it ;-)) HUGS!! AND YOU GOOOO GIRL!
I like clutterbug better too :) That's what we have...clutter. On the forum we have a declutter thread going on. It has been great for encouragement. My big motivation right now is updating our adoption homestudy so I really really really need to declutter. But I have a hard time parting with things for all the reasons you stated PLUS, we homeschool....books books supplies books...you know how it goes LOL
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your challenge. I'll be checking in as well.
Okay, I'm in! I'm still organizing my thoughts on organizing before I roll up my sleeves. I'm doing all the mental prep work now so it will go faster when I start. Does that make sense or am I just procrastinating? Anyway, I'll be checking on you soon! :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a minute...you mean we have to declutter our books, too?? ;o)
ReplyDeleteOkay, I'll admit that I'm tackling that area as new bookshelves go up. I'm really liking the Nook we have and how it can hold a LOT of books without taking up more physical space.
I struggle with clutter too. In fact, I've started working on it recently (again). Three resources for books that have helped me are the two by Vicki Norris (Reorganize Your Life), The House that Cleans Itself (in the middle of) and Housekeeping, The Litany of Everyday Life by Kim Margaret Peterson (or Margaret Kim, can't remember and I borrow it A LOT from the library. I should get my own copy). I've come to the conclusion that holding on to things we don't need anymore is a sin (for me at least) as it is borderline covetousness (like keeping all the old baby clothes we very possibly may never need again) and idolatry.
ReplyDeleteThinking of a meme for this endeavor?