Collector Care: Mom Talk - 3 Tips For Successful Playdates

Hello collectors and parents! This June I am talking all about parenting! Why? What does that have to do with being organized? First, when you have kids, you have CLUTTER! Second, you must plan ahead to have a successful playdate. These are ideas that I stick to that I have gathered from trial and error. I would LOVE for more parents to comment on this blog about their tips and tricks.

I have a five year old, but these can apply to any age group.

1.  Bring a snack and drink. Always have a snack and drink in your car ready for those hunger crunches! I like to bring bottled water and granola bars, both keep well in the trunk and don't smash or spill easily.
2. Label action figures. Label your child's barbie dolls, action figures, video games, and anything else you can sharpie. Kids have a lot of the same items, and it saves time and money. I label my son's Skylander action figures on the bottom with an "S" using a black sharpie. He has a ton of these things and so do his friends, and I don't want to keep up with them.
3. Clearly mark drinking bottles or most cups for that matter. Hair ties are a great way to easily label water bottles and cups. I like the colored plastic ones from the 99 cent store. You can easily stretch them around the water bottle to identify who's is who. I use the same color scheme for kids that are always over. For instance Shane always has a blue hair band around his bottle and Ursula always has pink. Not only does this save from spreading germs, but it also means you don't have to track which water bottle belongs to who.

Please feel free to comment below with any tips and tricks on parenting that you would like to share!

Collector Care Interviews: Dr. Melva aka Doc Lashes aka Mystic Mama

Collector Care Interviews:

Rachel Seavey and Doctor Melva Talk About Single Parenting

I first came across Dr. Melva on the A&E hit series Hoarders where myself and all of her fans came to know her as "Doc Lashes". I began following her on social media sites, and really enjoyed her posts. I noticed a lot of them centered around her being alone with her son. I wondered if she were a single mom like myself. Her messages were so powerful at a time when I felt like hiding under a rock. Was it possible that a single working mother be happy and successful?
She gave me hope throughout this last year with her inspirational quotes and funny stories about her son. I wanted to know more about Doctor Melva! I was thrilled when I got the chance to meet her and do a quick interview on a whim. We got to the bottom of some of my personal pain, and I am so grateful to be able to share. Here we are below taking a pic after chopping it up.

Rachel: Is it hard for you to be a single mom? Do you miss your son when he is at his Dad’s?
 

Dr. Melva: I feel like I can’t claim the complete single mom role because my son has a wonderful Dad. It’s because I have made it a point to have such a healthy and whole relationship with his father – I don’t feel alone. We don’t make any decisions independently as it relates to him (large decisions). Even though we differ on certain ideals about what he needs or what he should have, we have a respect for each other.

My son has been gone with his Dad for weeks at times, and yes I miss him, but I value the time he spends with his father. It is something that is really important to all of us.

Dr. Melva: Are you having a hard time letting your son go?
 

Rachel: Yes I am having a very hard time. I don’t even know who I am without him. I fill the time keeping busy so that I don’t have to think about it. I wish that I could just naturally be happy about the situation but it makes me very sad.
 

Dr. Melva: Rachel is it that you miss the relationship with the three of you?  The reason I ask that is because one of the things that people underestimate the most is grief. It’s the things we do to set a pause on grief. Ill be the first to tell you I did not grieve the loss of our relationship until recently - like this year (I am a very straight person). It was five years ago that we split, I did not even think about grieving. We are great co-parents. When I drove cross country and stopped in Nashville (where we had met in medical school) I texted my sons father sitting from our favorite restaurant. I said "I am crying and the tears are pouring, and I feel like I am missing the dream of what we were once". Then I went past the restaurant, past where our son was born and the medical school and cried my eyes out, I was on the interstate crying, I realized I was finishing the grief process that I never finished before. And not so much that I wanted him back – there had been a dream. We were the perfect three piece set, and it was crushed. And I never grieved.

Rachel: I am missing the dream. Who doesn't dream of having the perfect life (whatever that may be), when it is crushed, it is hard to cope. It's hard to identify the root of the pain when so much hardship is going on around you. I am so happy to hear this perspective. Thank you  for letting me interview you. I will continue to work on accepting grieving the broken dream.

Please stay tuned for our next blog on Dr. Melva being so open about expressing her nontraditional western beliefs and which sorceress I remind her of.

Rachel Seavey, Professional Organizer At Collector Care

Collector Care serves the San Francisco Bay Area. We specialize in hoarding disorder, chronic disorganization and helping the overwhelmed with clutter. We love what we do, and provide realistic expectations and timelines. Don't suffer in chaos any longer. Every breath is a new beginning!
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4.5 Organizing Tips For Single Moms (and Dads)

As if being a parent isn't hard enough, rowing the boat alone is no walk in the park. Trying to manage life and constant incoming clutter can be overwhelming for anyone.

Below are 4.5 solid tips that I personally use to manage time, paper, stuff and head clutter.

1. Incoming Artwork. This is always my most difficult decision. Who wants to throw away their child's artwork? No Mom in the world. But does throwing "it" away throw away the fact that your child had fun making it? Are we as moms, more connected to the artwork then our children? I know in many cases I am. This purging process will get easier as you go on, and you won't be left making a million decisions years down the road.
   
   
   • Don't dispose of artwork in front of your child. 
   • Do not keep doodles on restaurant menus or scrap paper.
   • Display current masterpieces around the house, and once they have had their run, toss them.
     
2.  Homework. As a parent of a young grade-schooler I believe it is my job to make sure homework is done correctly and submitted on time. If possible, make sure your child has everything he or she needs for the assignment before they leave their school. Forgetting to bring home a backpack can be a doozy. Empty all items out of their backpack and set your child up at the table, with no distractions to do homework. Once homework is done and checked, place it back into the backpack and leave the backpack by the door where you can see it the next day. 
3. Read, Sign, Return. Find these items each day when  you empty your child's backpack. Return them the next day with their homework. There is no reason to hang on to these for any period of time, and your child's teacher will appreciate the promptness.
4. Volunteering. I like to add all my calendar dates to my free Google Calendar. I can check it from my smart phone or online. Any paper or online calendar will do, just remember to save the dates right away. Agreeing to help and actually helping are two very different things!
5. Toys. Before you know it you will be drowning in your children's toys. Every year I have my son go through his toys with me for donations. Cheap party favors / machine bubbles/ McDonald's toys - toss em. Besides contributing to clutter, they may contain harmful chemicals that could

By following these 4.5 steps you will be on your way to living a less cluttered life! We do have kids - our house will never be "perfect".

To learn more about Collector Care Professional Organizers, visit our website, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest! 925-548-7750