My house has got a bit out of control, and I am feeling overwhelmed. Could do with a kick up the bum!

[MrsNouveauRichards]

What with one thing and another, our house has got out of control - summer holidays lack of routine, going on a camping trip (lots of stuff down from the loft) a nearly three year old, also known as the Taz (the tazmanian devil) and kind of giving up caring tbh.

It has been a slow decline since the youngest was born (nearly 3yrs ago) and it has almost reached crisis point. It affects my mood, I find myself losing my temper because I am tripping over stuff all the time.

I have set a day for a trip to the tip (friday) I am in the house all afternoon today waiting on a delivery, I plan on wearing the kids out this morning and then setting them up with a film this afternoon and tackling the house.

But the problem is I don't know where to start, I know one afternoon is not going to fix it, but it will be a good start.

I have no excuse really, no bereavement, no illness, no depression. Just struggling to keep up with two kids and becoming lazy when I have some peace and quiet.

[IDismyname]

Just choose a room. Any room. The room that annoys you the most.

Start with a corner of that, and then try the next corner. Set yourself a timer of say, 20 mins, then have a 5 minute break and maybe report back to us how you're getting on. Then go back and do another 20 mins.

Just tackle it little by little.

I find that once I start, I get quite carried away...

[MrsNouveauRichards]

Thank you.

I put a spare bookshelf up in the kids room at the weekend as it was just empty and in the way, then I spent an hour shifting stuff around their room. Now I keep going in there to look as it is neat and tidy. I think that is why I feel the need to sort the rest of the house out!

I will tackle the kitchen first, it is the one room that is pretty much finished decoration wise, so always looks so nice when clean and tidy. I will report back this afternoon just before I start, then after I've finished. :)

[hidinginthecupboard]

I would say pick a room, stock up on bags/boxes and then stick to that room till you're done. And be ruthless! Think good idea not to be too ambitious as its easy to get disheartened and overwhelmed if you see no difference at the end of the day. Also keep track of the time whilst you're working or you might suddenly realise its 8pm and you've been reading old magazines for two hours and the kids are on third viewing of Cars 2. Ahem.

[MrsNouveauRichards]

:o

I have never done that, no, never.... (may be lying a little)

[Loveleopardprint]

How old are your kids? Can you bribe them to help with the tidying. I often give mine a room each to do whilst I do another. Even if they don't do a great job it is a start and every item that is put away is an item that is not tripping you up!

[GwendolineMaryLacey]

Choose a room and just do it. Seriously. We have a teeny tiny 3rd bedroom that was a totally unused nursery for 5 years and then a junk room to the point where you couldn't close the door. In addition, dd1's bedroom was overrun with toys. For about a year I've wanted to clear the room, take the cot out, turn it into a bed and put it into dd1's room, then turn the tiny room into a playroom.

Om Saturday, sitting on MN arsing about and just though sod it, enough. Marched upstairs and got started. By Saturday evening I was trapped in the room due to volume of stuff. By Sunday evening we had a fully functioning playroom and the girls' beds all sorted. I am beyond proud of myself. It's so worth the effort.

And I keep going in to look at how tidy the rooms are too :o Now just have to do the rest of the house!

[MrsNouveauRichards]

Afternoon has not got off to a good start, spent the last hour chasing up the delivery that they tried to deliver this morning, a whole 2hrs earlier than the start of of the 'estimated' delivery time. Greeter

Anyway.......

I am going to set myself a timer for 20mins and attack the kitchen (attack being pretty apt)

Wish me luck!

[MrsNouveauRichards]

Greeter was supposed to be Grrrrr :o

[LoisEinhorn]

I like writing jobs down. Its such a motivation seeing them getting crossed off

[SlatternismyMiddlename]

Good luck - I'm looking to you for inspiration! so no pressure then........

[summermakesmesneeze]

Another one looking to you for inspiration. I'm sooo rubbish at chucking stuff out. DD1 is first grandchild and has hoardes of stuff. To the point where if I confiscate a toy, it is completely forgotten about (after the initial foot-stamping tantrum). And yet it gets thrown out/given away one measly toy at a time as 'she sometimes plays with it' 'one day she might really like that'. Harrumph.

[Jenijena]

Rather than have a time limit, I think about doing 15 things. They can be little things - put in a book case, or something in the bin - or bigger things, but 15 is enough to make an improvement without being too long, and means I can't get distracted into doing anything else!!!

[MrsNouveauRichards]

I am terrible at getting rid of stuff, but so is DH to be fair. Dc2 starts preschool in Sept, so I plan on getting rid of a lot of toys and books to the local playgroup then. My dcs are 5 and nearly 3yrs.

Ok, so a bit longer than 20mins, but I have.....

Cleared the kitchen sink, ran bowl full of hot, soapy water and put stuff in to soak
Sorted kids out with a game in the garden - washing cars
Put Dishy on
Did more laundry
Sorted out one box of camping stuff so it is ready to go back in loft
Cleared out coolbox and sprayed with bleach cleaner
Realised I had meant to put dinner in slow cooker, so did that
Did washing up
Bleached sink and washing up bowl
Had another phone call about missed delivery

Next
Clean coolbox and put in garden to dry in sun
Round up all books and papers from kitchen and put on table in dining room (for now)
Clear island of assorted crap
Dry up and put away
Clean all surfaces
Sweep and flash wipe floor

Back in 30mins or so...

[Jenijena]

Rather than have a time limit, I think about doing 15 things. They can be little things - put in a book case, or something in the bin - or bigger things, but 15 is enough to make an improvement without being too long, and means I can't get distracted into doing anything else!!!

[Journey]

I'd get all the camping stuff back in the loft and then tackle one room at a time

[MrsNouveauRichards]

Oops, x-post.

Yes, sometimes when I am really struggling I will make myself put 5 things in the bin, or find 3 things to take upstairs/downstairs.

[MissMarplesBloomers]

Whereever you decide to clear, take a black bin bag, a box for recycling & a box for charity/giving away. Fill each one & get rid of asap its very catrhartic & makes you feel less wasteful too!

[starfishmummy]

A quick fix I do while waiting for the kettle to boil is to check one cupboard shelf (or half a shelf) and check dates on foodstuffs. Putting any that are close to date to the front where I will remember to use them. I also weed out all the empty bottles and jars that have inexplicably got put back!!

[ppeatfruit]

Oh starfish I periodically leave our house and have to have the kitchen nice and clean for the cat feeder person.I'm guilty of putting empty jam jars\pnut butter jars in cupboards (ready to be washed for recycling) until the smell makes me wonder WTF is smelling in there

[ppeatfruit]

mrsnouveau you're not the only one ! I don't even have L.O's at home as an excuse !!!

[MrsNouveauRichards]

Kitchen is clear! I can see three clear sides, no camping stuff, books, paper or general crap cluttering the place up.

Next job is to get some much needed caffeine :o

After that I am going to tackle the bit of hall leading from the kitchen - more camping stuff. Also some more laundry.

We are lucky that our tip is run by a local charity, so you can take recycling, tip stuff and stuff for the charity shop. One stop dumping ground!

I am taking two broken chairs, one box of random stuff, a child's beanbag chair and some old tins of paint so far. Planning to fill another two boxes to take.

[MrsNouveauRichards]

Oh, and a box of magazines to take to the library on Friday morning.

[Onesleeptillwembley]

I'd say fill a carrier bag with rubbish from each room. Throwing out so much crap is therapeutic, and fires you up to carry on. Good luck.