The Queen of KAOS @Home

By: Aurelia Williams

Mothers are expected to possess huge hearts, big shoulders, a minimum of 3 hands, all the answers and the list goes on! What many mothers forget is they are not born with super hero powers to handle all of those things at once.

Mom=Stress. It’s a fact of life. Reducing stress is of the utmost importance to everyone, but especially mothers.

You know stress can lead to depression, heart disease, and an unhealthy mom. Did you also know your stress, if not handled correctly, can have a negative impact on your children too?

The most important things in a mother’s life, her children, are also the most influential. Children are sponges and everything Mom does they will, at some point in time in their lives, mimic. If children see their mother constantly stressed out, they will be more inclined to follow those patterns. What you do today can determine the kind of life your child will lead tomorrow, including how you make it a point to reduce stressful situations.

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If you are concerned with the causes of indoor air pollution, especially those caused by chemicals in the home, you may be interested in this link . It is a good lesson to think before you buy.

Causes of Indoor Air Pollution

Living with a compulsive hoarder cannot be easy.

I came across this series of photos posted by a college student living in his mother’s home.

 She is a compulsive hoarder, seeing this pictures and his comments to them really makes it all real. I could feel his pain just looking at them!

It’s something to think about if clutter is a problem in your life - it’s a problem for you children too.

I’ve often wondered how many bad tempers and negative attitudes are caused by to much clutter overwhelming children’s minds.

(these may take awhile to load, some of the comments by others has swearing just to let you know :0)

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Overcoming compulsive hoarding disorder is not easy, as you will have seen if you watched Oprah the past few days.

But the rewards are almost as overwhelming as the clutter, as you could also see by the reactions of all the members of the family involved.

 Peter Walsh had some really helpful comments about how to dig yourself out if you are having a hoarding or clutter problem.

• Start Small. If you do one bag of garbage and one bag to donate per day, you will have 14 bags out per week.
• Stop Inflow. Extremely important not only to help you clear it out, but to keep it that way. Replace things as you use them, not before.
• Respect the limits of your space. This goes along with stop inflow. If you don’t have room for it or can’t organize it, don’t bring it into the house.
• Ask yourself, does this help me live my BEST life.
• The biggest step is the first step.
• Focus on moving toward the things of value rather than the things that have cost so much.
• You choose the stuff or your life. A choice you need to make EVERY DAY.
• Live now. Don’t save things for the future or keep things from the past that do not serve you fully.
• Constantly think of the vision you have for the room and stick to the limits.

I made a few observations while I was watching the show.  I noticed that work areas and centers where created (a tactic skillfully utilized by Mimi Tanner in one of my favourite ebooks Declutter Fast) BUT extra storage spaces where not created to house overflow. Any overflow was out. (maintaining limits)

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Here we are rolling around to another declutter day. What project are you going to work on today?

 I am continuing with my office, as I realized that I am hoarding too much paper - see Helping a Compulsive Hoarder, and my mother in law gave us some really nice little tables, I am going to put one beside my computer and need to clear a few piles. Those got put there when I cleared out my filing cabinet because it is nice looking but cheap and wouldn’t hold the weight!

So, I am back at that today, and also doing some “soft work” in the livingroom, the other two tables are going in there and I have a few things I want to finish up once and for all. So I’m popping on a movie while I do that one and kicking back a bit.

What are you going to do? Let us know!

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I came away with quite a bit after watching todays Oprah so I’ve posted the main points here. 

I can tell you, while I was watching it, I couldn’t sit still. I had to declutter something!

A FEW KEY TAKE AWAYS FROM THE SHOW

It was interesting, because as they mentioned on the show, a little at a time, after awhile you don’t notice it anymore, you BECOME ACCLIMATED TO CLUTTER.And there I was looking around the livingroom with new eyes, and saw the corner right beside the TV as if for the first time.

The interesting part is that I had known it was a “rough spot” but honestly didn’t think there was much I could do with it, that it was full of things that “had” to be there. After having a better look, I managed to make it much better, then got rid of a few other things that I had been procrastinating on moving where they belonged.

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By the end of Oprah today, it was clear that there had to be some hidden causes of Compulsive Hoarders Disease. They are going to be tackling that tomorrow, I can’t wait to see what they come up with. A few theories arose for today - empty nest syndrome, loss of loved ones. But what is the issue behind that?

Have you got a theory?

I have a few. I thought of empty nest syndrome right away myself. I wonder if there are any stats on that. But everyone with empty nest does not ruin their home with “stuff”. It is a time when things should have been a piece of cake with grandchildren to enjoy.

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Does the thought of getting organized sap your energy? It doesn’t have to. Here are 5 energizing ideas.

1. TAKE A DEEP BREATH. Getting overwhelmed just looking at the clutter is one of the greatest excuses not to start. Take a deep breath and focus on one small area. Once that area is done, there will be plenty of time for the rest.
2. EARLY BIRD OR NIGHT OWL. There’s no doubt about it. Organizing your home or office does take some energy. That’s why knowing your peak energy level is so important. If you’re an early bird and your energy level is very high in the morning, that’s the best time for you to declutter. If you have more energy at night, organize during that time instead.
3. KNOW YOUR LIMITS. Some people are at their best when they work in long, marathon sessions. Others can only work for 15 minutes at a time. Determine your limits and set your organizing schedule within that timeframe.
4. EAT HEALTHY, GET ENOUGH REST. Not eating nutritious meals regularly, and/or not sleeping enough, both highly contribute to feeling sluggish and disoriented. Most people need 3 nutritious meals per day (stay away from foods that can make you sleepy such as white flour and sugar), and require at least 7 hours of sleep or more per night. You may be amazed at how much more you can get done if you adjust these two areas.
5. MEGA MUSIC. Listening to cheery, upbeat music when you’re organizing can really get you moving, and keep you alert. Don’t play it so loud so that it’s a distraction. Keep it at an enjoyable, background level.

by Maria Gracia - Get Organized Now!â„¢
Want to get organized? Get your FREE Get Organized Now!â„¢ Idea-Pak, filled with tips and ideas to help you organize your home, your office and your life, at the Get Organized Now!â„¢ Web site
http://www.getorganizednow.com

They say that it is impossible for a family to live on one income. They say you need a bigger house for the tax deduction. They say schools need to budget for palm pilots for students, even though they can’t afford to pay the teachers. They say that you need a compact car because we’re going to run out of gas. They say you need a big SUV so you’ll be safe on the road. They say you need to be a vegetarian or you’ll die. They say you should eat a lot of meat so you’ll lose weight or you’ll die.

Over the centuries human beings have been compared to sheep over and over again. I never cease to be amazed at how true that is. If one sheep decides to head down a road that goes right over a cliff, they all follow. Even in history when people march and demand the right to be individuals they still always seem to dress and act alike. Remember the “flower children” of the 60’s. Even with their “free to be me” attitude, they were horrified if a man walked in with a suit and tie since it was different from what they would wear.

If children are doing drugs, drinking or just wearing strange outfits, they justify it because “everyone is doing it”. So often, the parent’s response is “If everyone jumps off a cliff that doesn’t mean you should do it, too.” Is that the story we tell them with our actions? Kids are very shrewd and have no tolerance for hypocrisy. We hurt our families and ourselves if we blindly follow the crowd. “They” (I still haven’t figured out who “they” are but I don’t think I like “them” or “their” ideas.) have set a standard of living that we must live by– no matter what the cost. (more…)

 I was recently reading a blog post about a 6 year old child who is showing some odd behaviour. She has just begun grade one at a new school this year.

You can read the full question to my reply and Nikki’s answer at her awesome parenting blog called Guilty Parents 

This is my thought on it… 

 It sounds like she might be stressed out by something at the new school, or just by the adjustment.

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