Animal Hoarding – meager resources

Animal hoarding is considered somewhat distinct from “typical” hoarding. The behavior is even more poorly understood than hoarding involving things, is not under the same level of scientific study, and the results more often, even more quickly, come to the attention of government agencies than the results of a person hoarding possessions. Sadly, animal hoarding…

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Kid Stuff

I’ve been working more often with children again, something I’ve done with great delight since early in my career. It often comes about that I work with children in the course of partnering with the parents: first the parents, then the youngster(s). My youngest one-on-one client ever was five. My record number of children on-site…

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Spring is Gonna have Sprung

Certified Professional Organizer medallion

I don’t know what it is about March and April but I get dizzy with blossoming conferences and seminars, every year. This year: March 4 – 5, the Online Hoarding Disorder Conference of the International OCD Foundation March 10, the Connecticut Women’s Consortium’s Buried In Treasures: The Nature and Treatment of Hoarding Disorder with David…

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Seeing What Others Cannot See by Thomas G. West

Pocket watches

Seeing What Others Cannot See: The Hidden Advantages of Visual Thinkers and Differently Wired Brains is Thomas G. West‘s third book. I am sooooooooo torn about this work. It is a powerfully reasoned defense of a world-wide, critical movement to recognize the needs and astonishing abilities of people who are visual/spatial/dyslexic/neurodiverse thinkers. Visual/spatial learners may have…

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I don’t post about pretty boxes

Decoupaged travel trunk

I don’t post about pretty boxes. I don’t. Did early in my career, haven’t in years. Why? I do not think pretty boxes are the important part of the organizing work. Can those be a reward for the tremendous effort involved in this kind of partnership? OH YEA. Can those be a tool to further…

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George Carlin and Stuff

There are people who believe George Carlin was one of the greatest stand-up comics of all time. I happen to agree. He was also foul-mouthed, entirely irreverent, and I think he cared as deeply about the human race as a doctor looking for a cure for cancer. His observations on stuff were timeless and achingly…

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Life Skills Advocate’s Real Life Executive Functioning Workbook

Chris Hanson, BS of Life Skills Advocate, partnered with Amy Sippl, MS, BCBA, has produced a thoughtful, far-reaching tool kit, The Real Life Executive Functioning Workbook: A Handbook of Exercises to Help Unique Learners for supporting neurodiverse young people as they attempt to master difficult skills and concepts such as emotion regulation and time management.…

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I don’t like real-life mysteries

I don’t like real-life mysteries. I’ll read fiction all day every day, cut my teeth on Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys, graduated to Sherlock Holmes, Miss Marple, Lord Peter and Nero Wolfe. I avoid the real-life stuff at all cost. I’m reviewing some of my bookkeeping, which prompts this self-reflection. Worry about the client…

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Love me my colleagues

I recently attended an Ask the Specialist Panel hosted by my chapter, NAPO Seattle Area, of my professional society, the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals. Always enriching to hear different perspectives, the unique orientations my colleagues have to their passions.   Todd Allan, Structured Space LLC – digital organizing Linda Deppa, Uncluttered Professional Organizing – photo organizing…

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