My parents are arriving next week, they've not been here for 4 years. Got a big party with lots of people next weekend for dds first holy communion.

I have been ultra ultra busy recently - just about kept up with washing and feeding us and thats it. So the house I'm afraid is a little bit revolting.

I'd quite like the house to be reasonable. ie clean and for them to be able to open cupboards with out needing to wear a hard hat. I've 3 cats who have left a whole new furry layer over everything. My garden is over run with slugs. The car is more like a field. I'm over run with paper work. The food cupboard has nothing useful.

Can sort things out tomorrow, thursday, friday, half of Sunday and Monday and tuesday next week.

Please help me, I need a plan or something so I can do all this and yet appear to be calm and happy when they arrive (rather than a demented witch!)

Order food online so that you don't have to go out and get it, then you can clean the house. Put the cats in a cat hotel thingy so that they won't ruin all your hard work, one room at a time, start at the top and work down. don't worry about anything else, they are here to see you, not your house.

ok, you CAN do this

the room there in has to be immaculate then so get it done so all you have to do is air it and hoover it just before they arrive

do the deeper stuff first so that its not all needing done again between now and them arriving

concentrate on the bits of the house that people will see and skim the rest

set fire to the paper work and shave the cats

am a domestic goddess me

Good idea about food
Cats - they'll have to stay but if its not raining and if I try and groom them they arent so bad.

One room at a time good idea. Just realised don't have to do my room as they won't go in there. dds is her own responsibility (from now on lol!)

ok that cuts it down.

did have mad ideas of washing curtains and stuff but thats a bit stupid isn't it?!

Thank goodness they are staying in a hotel They are bringing some american friends over with them (their first trip abroad and Mum has to take them to my house lol!!)

so deep stuff= windows, washing carpet? (neigbour lending bissel)

/sets beady eye on cats.
hmmmm.... well they would be cooler that way!

sod the curtains, no need unless you have time and desperately want to do them?

can you dump stuff in your room? when we have people staying all the dumped stuff from spare room comes creeping into ours lol

Spray fabreeze on the curtains. Minimum effort! Can you keep the cats in one room and hoover it after?

Why do you need to clean the carpets? That'll take ages. Ikea do cheap rugs for a fiver or so.

avenap - little kitty foot prints - aargh!! ikeas a bit far but I do like your thinking!!!

fabreeze: great idea !!!

stuff will be dumped in my room, and the loft and garage.....

Are you sure you aren't me? Same problem here, but confirmation not communion. At present hoping for good weather and bribing kids to do garden. ds1 cutting grass, putting ots of bark mulch over worst bits and cleaning barbeque. Inside I'm sticking to one room only and stacking everything in my bedroom.

I'm sure there is a better way, but I haven't discovered it.

Good luck with it all

I'm on a roll at the moment. The nice weather did inspire me to do the curtains - not looking forward to putting them back up though! Washed down front door and cleaned windows. Cleaned living room windows (and icky window sill)
Got a chicken in the oven and for some strange reason have got some pastry in fridge resting for apple pie. What on earth is wrong with me!?!

Right. Onwards....!