Do you hoard emails? Why?

Hey Collectors! Do you hoard emails? Gulp, okay guilty confession apparently I do too! I got a notice from Yahoo! today saying I had exceeded my storage limit!! No way, right? Um, yes way!

I just spent the last couple of hours deleting years worth of emails. I feel liberated! I had no idea what I had saved! (sound familiar????)

I guess it was out of sight out of mind? I also worked in a corporate environment for several years where we all saved every email to cover our you know whats. They were literally called CYA emails.

Whoah! I have to tell you it feels good to do that purge! Join me in purging emails this weekend (or whenever you find yourself reading this). Don't wait for a notice to be posted to drive you into de-cluttering your inbox! Learn from the Pro's!

Do you need help de-cluttering your emails or paperwork? We love information gatherers!

www.collectorcare.com or 925-548-7750 FREE estimates to the SF Bay Area!

Rachel Seavey (no longer hoarding emails)!
Owner & Blogger - Collector Care Professional Organizers

Organizing & Cleaning for anyone overwhelmed with clutter!
Licensed. Bonded. Insured. Check out our reviews on Facebook, Google + and yelp!

Before the Big O: Rachel Seavey Talks About Life Before Organizing

Hello Collectors! Thank you for stopping by. I am honored to be featured in this book with my favorite organizing peers from all over the country. Everyone in this book is passionate, and successful, with a unique story to tell.  It is a collaborative book about what we all did before we were Professional Organizers. In this book you will find fascinating stories and a bit of inspiration.

Want to know more about me and what I did before I organized? I am always asked "Have you always been organized?" and "what made you start organizing?" -
Find out the juicy details of my life before organizing by ordering this book below!

Rachel Seavey, Professional Organizer in the San Francisco Bay Area, Blogger and Owner of Collector Care Professional Organizers and Hoarding Cleanup

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Hoarder Babe - A story about me from a mystery Collector.

Dear Collectors, thank you for your kind messages and sweet wishes. Whoever wrote this to me is especially creative, and I hope you don't find offense with me posting this online. You were not offended sending it to me right? (winks)

Last weekend I spoke at the San Jose Convention Center (so it's a bit creepy that there is reference to it, were YOU there???) and then I got this in my email. When I responded I got a failure to send message. Who are you Lostin Piles? Give us a call, we offer free estimates!

Hoarder Babe

-------------------------------------
Subject: Hoarder Babe

A desperate message comes in to mild mannered Professional Organizer Rachel Seavey while she is presenting at the San Jose Home Show.

Slipping discreetly into an empty room, no one notices the flash of light. But when she comes out and dashes out the front door all dressed in white, hazel eyes gleaming over her mask, there are gasps... isn't that, yes it is, its Hoarder Babe.

Arriving on the scene, she finds a man in front of a garage, buried up to his knees in a landslide of paper. What seems to be the problem sir? "My high school reunion is tomorrow, all I wanted to do was find my old yearbook. I know it’s in here somewhere". 

After quizzing him on the color and size of the book, and when it last looked at it, she slowly crawls on top of the pile. Using the expiration dates of old coupons to lead the way, she zeroes in on a bookcase in the back corner that is peeking through the top of the pile.

"Stand back everyone, this could get messy" she says before disappearing into a cloud of utility bills. After several tense minutes, a blue book " The Santa Cruz High School Fighting Vegetarians, Class of '82" slides down the pile to land at his feet. "Oh Thank You Hoarder Babe". She is about but correct him that it is "Hoarder Woman", but decides to accept it as a compliment. With a wink she is gone.

Back at the convention center, dabbing a little makeup on her wrists to conceal the paper cuts, she smiles and says "Hi I'm Rachel, I'd like to talk to you today about Chronic Disorganization".

By Lostin Piles

Collector Care: 4.5 Tips to Combat PTSD and Clutter

Recently Ive noticed a trend with the combination of clutter and ptsd, a complete overwhelm.

Hello Collectors! PTSD is an overwhelming disorder in itself, when clutter is added you might find yourself in CHAOS. Embarrassment to let people in might plague you; along with the shame of not being perfect. You've always been expected to be neat and tidy, why is it that you can no longer enforce order?

HALT!  It's time to stop right there. Please understand that you are undergoing a dramatic change in life, try and cut yourself a little slack. You are not your clutter. Below are  some tips that can help you begin your journey.

1. Try and remain in the present. If you find yourself flashing back when viewing certain items, save those items to go through at a stronger time in your life.
2. Begin somewhere neutral of feelings such as the pantry or linen closet. Pull all of the items out, and clean the space you plan to reclaim. Place only items that serve you back. Remaining items can be tossed or donated. If you find yourself easily distracted - set a timer for 30-60 minutes. 
3. PTSD leaves you feeling stuck. Lost in time. Motionless. Set a calendar reminder for your decluttering efforts so that you don't forget. 
4. Make sure to open up plenty of windows and let sunlight and fresh air in. Sounds of nature from outside will help bring you into the present. 
5. Hire a professional organizer, make sure this person has credentials and is bonded, licensed and

I am not credentialed to treat or diagnose any symptom or disorder. The intent of this blog is only informational and based on my insight as an organizer. Please read the ICD code of ethics to read the standards I adhere by.

Collector Care's 4.5 Tips on Preparing for an Organizing Session

Hi Collectors! One of my favorite questions is "what should I do before you get here in order to prepare for our organizing session?". Here are 4.5 things you can do before a Collector Care Professional Organizer comes to your home!

1. Get plenty of rest the night before. Decluttering is exhausting, having a rested mind and body is important.
2. Do not clean before we get there! We want to see your space as it usually is, and we want you nice and rested before we come.
3. Eat a healthy breakfast. If you need protein bars for quick snack breaks keep them plenty close.
4. Drink a lot of water. Organizing can make you thirsty! Make sure you have plenty of water on hand so you aren't parched during a session. 
5. Relax. This is an exciting time in your life. Think about how wonderful your space will be after we leave. Don't worry about what we will think when we come. It takes a lot to shock us. Why just the other day we saw

So there you have it Collectors. Rest, eat, water and peace. We know you can handle it!

 Rachel Seavey, Professional Organizer and Blogger for Collector Care

Collector Care specializes in hoarding disorder, chronic disorganization and professional organizing. We  love what we do, and  provide realistic expectations and timelines. Please visit our website at

www.collectorcare.com  or call 925-548-7750

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Collector Care: 4.5 Holiday Travel Tips for Collectors, Savers and Preppers

Happy Holidays Collectors! Thanksgiving is traditionally the busiest travel weekend of the year. Traveling during Thanksgiving often requires patience and a lot of preparation.

Here are 4.5 Travel Tips for Collectors like yourself who are information junkies, prepppers, clutterers, and savers. Enjoy the humor, absorb the good tips and travel on!

1. Plan ahead. Collectors, we know you like a good deal. Take advantage of lower rates in the early fall by using social media. Sign up for sale notifications from your airline of choice on Facebook and Twitter. It’s never too early to start your holiday travel planning. 
2. Pack light/travel light Most of our Collectors have multiple travel bags, before your trip designate one specific travel bag.  Do NOT buy any  travel products, look inside your many existing travel bags and purses for what you need and consolidate. We know you have many toothbrushes, toiletries, and hand sanitizers laying about the house. Take a day to corral them all for your trip. It will save you money and a trip to the store.
3. Find your ID's and Passports. Every week our team recovers passports, ID's, social security cards, checks, check books, gift cards. Collectors, you are going to have to designate ONE safe place for these crucial items. They do not belong in the kitchen pantry under a computer. I'm just saying. If you need help finding something our Tony Leonardini is a recovery specialist and he is more than happy to come help.
   
4. Print your boarding pass at home, or have the link on your phone. We know you battle with losing papers, try your best to keep these in your "current" purse or in sight. I find keeping them in a bright orange folder helps. If all else fails, leave enough time to wait at the counter for check-in.
5. Plan a day to unpack after your trip. I have emptied countless travel bags filled with

We wish you happy travels Collectors! Do your best to not collect too many shampoos and soaps while you are traveling. Note pads and pens can be left in the hotel room. You have everything you need at home, enjoy your clutter free trip!

Collector Care Professional Organizers specialize in custom solutions for clutter, chronic disorganization and hoarding. If you need help locating documents, important identification, or money in order to travel, we can help! Our Organizers are thorough, efficient and honest. We are licensed, insured and bonded. What do you have to lose ... besides the stuff we can find?! www.collectorcare.com

Collector Care: 4.5 Products That We Love

Hello Collectors! Want to know what our favorite products are? We want to share them with you! These are products that we use all of the time from our minor #clutter jobs to our major #hoarding jobs.

It's always nice to get free samples, so if you are one of these companies, no pressure!

1. Husky Contractor Bags. I fell in love with these years ago at Home Depot. They can carry a LOT of garbage and donations! These bags are in no means flimsy and are WAY heavy duty. 
2. Lysol Disinfectant. Spray, spritz, pour whatever it comes in, it gets the job done. And it does not leave spots on your clothing like bleach. For someone who wears black a lot, this is important. 
3. 3M N95 Respirators and masks with particulate filters. Ow! Keeps dust and odors out while decluttering.
4. Dickie's Pants. We can't get enough of the multiple pockets and the long lasting wear.
5. Hand Sanitizer from Bath and Body Works. Small enough to fit in your pocket, with many fragrances to

Collector Care Before & After Photos : Hoarding Clean Up - Bathroom

Hello Collectors! The title of this post should be clear enough, so if you are still here - prepare to see the kick ass job we did in this bathroom. All of the trash had been removed but feces/urine/blood was still present. Often we deep clean bathrooms and kitchens to complete a job. Did you know that regular cleaning companies (ie; Merry Maid) will not do this kind of job? We pride ourselves on flipping your home. I get on my hands and knees and scrub myself. I get asked that question a lot :)

Master Bathroom Before

Hang on the best is coming ... if you are reading this now, I commend you for your enthusiasm!

TA-DA!!!

 

So there you have it folks, no job is too dirty for Collector Care. We do not judge any of our clients and are very grateful when someone allows us not only into their home, but to take photos for our showcase.

Collector Care professional organizers and hoarding experts are here 6 days a week to help you on your journey. Whether you need your garage organized or you cannot get into rooms in your house, we are here for you!

Rachel Seavey, Professional Organizer (and blogger) For Collector Care

Collector Care specializes in hoarding disorder, chronic disorganization and professional organizing. We  love what we do, and  provide realistic expectations and timelines. Please visit our website at

www.collectorcare.com  or call 925-548-7750

Tweet us on Twitter : Like our Facebook page : Pin with us on Pinterest

Collector Care Book Review: Buried in Treasures

Collector Care Book Review: Buried in Treasures
Help for Compulsive Acquiring, Saving, and Hoarding.

By David F. Tolin, Randy O. Frost, and Gail Steketee.

Buy through Amazon using the ICD affiliate link (help ICD!)

Buried in Treasures can be read by an acquirer, a saver, a hoarder, a loved one, or a professional wanting to learn more about beating hoarding. If self-help books usually work for you, or self-help is the route you want to take at this time in your life – read this book. It offers practical methods to beating clutter with realistic timelines that work. The key point is that you are dedicated to helping yourself, and that you do not give up. Backsliding is normal, so keep on chugging. This book will help. It is easy to read, and the authors are engaging. They will cheer you along the way. These are the some of the most elite professionals in our field, this book is a gold mine. Trust in them and trust in yourself. 

If you are a family member or concerned friend, just know that hoarding can be treated! Don’t give up on your loved one. By reading this book, you might begin to understand what your loved one is actually going through.  You will be given methods to help relieve YOUR concern, anger, sadness and anxiety about your loved ones disorder. Buried in Treasures will open your awareness on how to address this issue with your loved one in a manner that works.

As a professional organizer I find this book helpful as a way to help my clients beat hoarding. The questions at the end of each chapter are much like the ones I use with my clients, in addition to many new ideas I plan to use going forward. This book is a mandatory read if you want to be an ICD Hoarding Specialist. I recommend this book to any professional organizer who is interested in hoarding.

Below are five topics from this book that I picked out and commented on. There is a TON of info in this book and I only begin to scratch the surface of all the "buried treasures" within this book.

1. What is hoarding? This book is an excellent resource for the answer to this question.  A side note states “One of the key features of compulsive hoarding is that the clutter is so bad that portions of the home are unusable.” It also goes in to the three criteria that are thought to be present in hoarding disorder.  Chapter 2 explains hoarding thoroughly.
2.  Hoarding is treatable. “Compulsive hoarding is recognized as a diagnosable (and treatable) behavioral syndrome.” This is coming straight from leading experts. Believing this is a key role in conquering hoarding.
3. “Whereas most people define themselves by what they do, people with hoarding problems often define themselves by what they have. “ Being aware of this will help you win your battle. No one said this is easy work. The more aware you are of yourself, and your identity, you will begin to define yourself in healthier ways.
4. “Try scheduling your organizing sessions during the time your brain is most likely to cooperate.” This is a huge key to organizing success. If you are not a “morning person”, a “night owl”, have ADHD, TBI, physical disabilities, etc. Plan to organize at a time when you are at your best. Get a good night’s sleep, eat and drink plenty of water before during and after your organizing spurts! Take care of yourself and do not overdo it. 
5. “If you are hooked on Saturday morning yard sales, find something else to do”. You cannot beat hoarding if you are bringing more stuff in. There are so many other things you can do with your time. How about finally reading one of the hundreds of books you own? Finally taking in that charity bag, cleaning out your car, taking your dog on a walk, taking your recycling in, etc! Enough is enough folks. If you are a shopper, you have got to take yourself out of those situations until your hoarding is under control. 

I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did. Please feel free to leave a comment on this blog about Buried in Treasures, or feel free to ask any questions about this book or hoarding.  If you are looking for other good books on Hoarding I suggest reading Digging Out by Dr. Michael Tompkins, any book by Judith Kolberg,  the ICD Guide to Challenging Disorganization, or visit the ICD website.

Collector Care specializes in hoarding disorder and we work side by side with our clients to improve their living standards. If you know of someone who hoards, or if you are a hoarder please don’t hesitate to give us a call. 925-548-7750. Not ready yet? Check out our website, Facebook,or Twitter.

Rachel Seavey, Professional Organizer (and blogger) For Collector Care

Collector Care specializes in hoarding disorder, chronic disorganization and professional organizing. We  love what we do, and  provide realistic expectations and timelines. Please visit our website at

www.collectorcare.com  or call 925-548-7750

4.5 Things You Might Not Know About Collector Care

Hello Collectors! We get asked all sorts of things on the job, so I thought I would make some information readily available for any potential clients reading our blog. Please feel free to use this as a forum to ask any other burning questions you might have!

1. We do cleaning as well. Light cleans and deep cleans based on your specific situation. This includes bathrooms and kitchens, dusting and vacuuming. You should ask us!
2. Is safety a concern for you or a loved one? Let us come in and do a free risk assessment. We install fire alarms, carbon monoxide alarms, and do small handyman repairs to assist in your safety.
3. We are not going to come in and throw all your stuff out. We are trained to go item by item upon your discretion, and nothing leaves your home without your approval. We are hands on, meticulous and thorough. We recover valuables daily.
4. Hablo español! ¿Conoces a alguien que necesita ayuda, pero no habla Inglés?  
5. We have a dance that we made up called the Collector Care, first you bend your knees and then you

Collector Care Professional Organizers in the San Francisco Bay Area. We serve the entire Bay Area - we travel often, we don't mind driving - so no excuses! We provide honest timelines and pride ourselves on our efficiency and skill. Whether you have people coming to visit, have always been disorganized, have hoarding disorder, or you just moved - we can help. Closet control and garage organization - we love it.  Can you not have repairs done due to clutter? Have you been turned down from a house cleaning service? Are you tired of living in chaos? These are things we hear all of the time. We understand how you feel, and want to help you regain your living space. Go ahead, give us a call... we offer free estimates. 925-548-7750

Rachel Seavey, Professional Organizer (and blogger) For Collector Care

Collector Care specializes in hoarding disorder, chronic disorganization and professional organizing. We  love what we do, and  provide realistic expectations and timelines. Please visit our website at

www.collectorcare.com  or call 925-548-7750

Tweet us on Twitter : Like our Facebook page : Pin with us on Pinterest

Collector Care Professional Organizers - Hotel in San Francisco Before & After Photos

Hello Collectors! This is a project that we did in beautiful San Francisco, California. Our client just moved into her hotel room and needed help getting organized. By using a free room planning app, she was able to create the exact layout she wanted. We were very excited to make it happen and super thankful for allowing us to use these  pictures. 

Here are some before and after pictures:

View from the front door (Before)

View from the back corner of the room - not much room in this 200 square foot hotel suite.

We needed to organize the kitchen/pantry space. as well as define a living room (Before)

 

After several hours we were able to get the job done, and were just finishing up the final touches for the rest of the pictures below. I use my iPhone camera so please excuse the poor resolution. I try not to bring too much into any session with me to avoid losing items. : ) 

View from the front door (After)

Kitchen/Pantry We even deep cleaned her refrigerator! (After)

The kitchen/pantry is behind me and there is at least three feet of open space to walk around. Tony hung up pictures. We dusted cleaned and vacuumed.

ANOTHER SATISFIED CLIENT!

Thank you to our client for being so open about us using their pictures on the internet. Sometimes people just need help moving in and getting cozy ... Do you need help moving in? How about moving out?

Whatever your needs are, we try and help you reach those goals. Sometimes you might be disorganized due to moving, health issues, family drama, being too busy with work and life, other people's stuff etc. It's okay! Maybe you have always been disorganized - and feel it's impairing your life in a negative way. It's still okay! We are trained to find creative solutions for collectors with AD/HD, physical impairments and hoarding disorder. We pride on ourselves on being efficient and providing reasonable expectations. We offer affordable maintenance plans as well. Don't face your clutter alone!

We organize the entire Bay Area including Livermore, Pleasanton, Brentwood, Antioch, Concord, Walnut Creek, Danville, Castro Valley, Hayward, Oakland Alameda, Berkeley, San Francisco, San Mateo, Sonoma, Vallejo, Palo Alto, Milpitas, and if we have not listed a city here, just call and ask us!

925-548-7750

Rachel Seavey, Professional Organizer (and blogger) For Collector Care

Collector Care specializes in hoarding disorder, chronic disorganization and professional organizing. We  love what we do, and  provide realistic expectations and timelines. Please visit our website at

www.collectorcare.com  or call 925-548-7750

Tweet us on Twitter : Like our Facebook page : Pin with us on Pinterest