I need to get my act together - anyone else?!

[MillieMoodle]

I really need to get my act together - my house is a mess and needs a bloody good clean, I don't look after myself properly so always feel scruffy, I'm overweight since having 2 DC and I permanently feel stressed and like I have no control over anything.

So I am going to take back control. I would like to be an oasis of calm and serenity, preferably 2.5 stone lighter, obviously much slimmer, with decent hair, nails and eyebrows, a lovely clean house and the ability to turn down a chocolate bar once in a while. I also want to be able to wear a bikini on holiday next year without feeling quite so wobbly. It starts today!

Anyone else up for it?

STROKES your hair! Not hitting you round the head

I think there are a lot of long lists here. Just do 1 thing. To attempt them all just invites failure.
Accept kids and a tidy house just wont mix so keep it at livable level.
Nails? No. That's just a hamster wheel of upkeep. Creating a stick for your own back.
Hair...every 6 weeks and a blowdry as and when in between
Water...keep a glass by the sink and take a sip as you pass.
Weight... little bits all add up and a huge effort usually runs out of steam I a few days. But...a sweet treat every day does add up and will not help overall. Sugar is the enemy

@HasThisSoddingNameGoneToo Thank you, as I have sore red feet following cliff walk it’s hard to see myself as much a of twinkly fairy godmother. But one of the friends I was walking with today did tell me that she considered me the most upbeat person she knows so maybe that’s the modern version of a twinkly fairy godmother. I must admit despite everything (and of course there is many problems and losses in my life as in anybody’s) I just can’t help thinking it’s a wonderful world ..... now I really do sound Disney.....I’m off to put Compeed on my blisters (And would you believe, an unexpected blister on my thumb from a walking pole. I’ve never done this walking thing before, a friend lent me the walking pole because I was clearly struggling ) but I’m going to do it again because fresh air, exercise and company are definitely in the list of good things in this life. Ignoring the unflattering photos from the walk. Got to break eggs to get an omelette, might have d dragged through a hedge backwards all day but skin glowing and micro circulation pushing blood under skin. Result! Xxx

@HasThisSoddingNameGoneToo obvs “there are” not “there is” can’t trust predictive. Once dictated “unusually this will work” and SIRI put “use your w*lly, this will work” and without checking I sent it to a male coworker.....oh the mortification! And mirth! I still haven’t lived that one down.....

Can I join?
My main thing is my mental health is a mess at the minute. I need to get that sorted first!
Then I need to lose a little weight, I'm ok with it taking a little while so I'm just making healthier choices daily.
My house is clean, it's about the only thing I'm on top of!
I'd love to be one of those super organised people whose clothes are laid out the night before, make up and hair done daily and remembers to bring shopping bags to the supermarket. I guess that's really my aim, I just need a kick up the bum!

Also @Isthisblocked, wetting myself at "use your willy..."

A bit late to the party but may I join you all please?

I have 4 st to lose (previously lost 2 1/2 but gained 2 over the last couple of years).
I would like to look tidy and like I make an effort.
My house is getting me down. I Marie Kondo'd about 4 years ago and whilst I made good progress, it was so bad to start with that I'm still so far off the end goal.

Mealplanning has totally gone out the window and is really the only chance I have of sticking to healthy eating.

Budgeting is the only area I am in control of. Frugal living is in my genes . I started a no-spend challenge on here in January. Did really well for months but have come a bit unstuck over the holidays - still within budget but wasting money unnecessarily.

I'm not sure how motivated I'm feeling right this minute but if I don't do something now, I'm never going to.

Tomorrow's goal is to have a fast day, take washing out of the machine, fold dry washing and think of something for dinner - I really hate having to think of something for dinner every single night

My weekend goal is to get 10 items listed on eBay (to go towards an expensive impulse purchase I made today ).

@Gooseygoosey12345 @Clutterfreeintraining yes, of course you’re joined in and welcome. Both of you sound like you’ve got it nailed. Goosey has tidy house (respect!) and clutterfree (great name) has made expensive impulse purchase (good, got to enjoy yourself as we go through life) but intends to de-clutter and pay for impulse purchase in one organised multi task. Join in and give advice on your strengths and look for a bit of support on the bits you haven’t quite got nailed down just yet...it’s all easier with a bit of team effort....xxxx

@Isthisblocked thank you! I've always been too hard on myself but right now I'm just miserable. I want my body back. People keep asking me when I'm due 🤦‍♀️

I find it really interesting how getting on top of housework is so linked to weight/food choices in everyone's minds. There's a general sense of 'I need to take charge of this thing that is all around me and not let it control me'.

@Isthisblocked thank you thinking of writing down some goals, just little ones to aim towards what I want to achieve. Definitely feels easier with a bit of group mentality!

So my advice on having a tidy house is have a set routine of what you're going to do every day, for instance, I clean my kitchen when I get up and I'm making coffee. Then I do it again while DS naps, wash up after dinner and wipe sides before bed, so then in the morning there's next to nothing to do. I have a routine to get everything done that fits around whatever else I'm doing. And I'll do bits as I go round the house, like I'll go for a wee and while I'm there I'll give the bathroom a quick clean.
Everything is in tubs or boxes all around the house, everything has it's place and nothing is left out. I don't keep anything that's not being used, clothes get passed down to friends (it's great, we're always swapping bin bags full of clothes!), toys get taken to nursery or charity shop.
I always have a sort out on weekends and do a "big clean". I don't have a lot of "stuff" because I hate clutter, it really affects my mental health of the house isn't clean and tidy.

@Gooseygoosey12345 what I really like about Your last post is that you are doing/planning little bits as and when rather than attempting to climb Mount Everest in one go. I think that’s the key to it. None of us is ever going to get time to do something that takes a whole day that you might have five minutes when you can make a difference. It’s a bit like saving up isn’t it, dribs and drabs do mount up. Four years my mantra has been “do it now”. You know that tsunami of paperwork that mounts up on the kitchen bench if you don’t deal with the post immediately? I vanquish that long time ago with the do it now philosophy and deal with the paperwork that for years my mantra has been “do it now“. You know that tsunami of paperwork that mounts up on the kitchen bench if you don’t deal with the post immediately? I vanquished that a long time ago with the “do it now” philosophy and deal with the paperwork at once. I suppose you can bring a bit of feng shui (is that how you spell it? I’m no convert) into this. If your space feels cluttered your mind will feel cluttered and that will have a bad knock on effect on the way you deal with everything. Isn’t it interesting what @CanISpeakToYourManager points out? Because I’ve been too engaged in this thread I hadn’t realised this is a common theme again. The link between getting on top of housework and getting on top of food choices/weight. It’s about having control of yourself and your surroundings and they do all link together for overall well-being. I’m going to start being a lot more aware of bad food choices having an impact on my achievements in a way I’d never previously connected.

I'm currently on Week 14 of doing this. I have a spreadsheet where I list the things I want to do daily. To make it work, I had to pare down what I wanted to do, and then pare it down again, as well as accept that it wasn't realistic to complete everything every day.
I get a green, an orange or a red in each box on the spreadsheet, because I'm weird.
Once I got over the perfectionism, I've actually been enjoying it. I achieve so much more, feel better and feel like I have permission to relax at the end of the day because my goals aren't endless.
I'm getting more greens slowly over time.
I've lost 9lb, and everything else in my life is going a bit better. I'm also learning how even though I can't always see results immediately, the cumulative effects are really noticeable.

I've had on and off got a list of 28 household jobs to do. So on the 1st of every month I descale the kettle, on the 2nd I put the tea / coffee / sugar jars in the dishwasher, on the 3rd I feed the houseplants and deal with any repotting or twigging (if that's even what it's called) that's needed and so on.

It seems so simple but if I can ensure I clean the bastard mirror over the fire at least once a month I feel I'm on to a winner. And the fact there's only 28 means it's only February where I don't have slack to pick jobs up later in the month

I love you, @isthisblocked — you’re so wise and kind. It’s like being visited by a Fairy Godmother who strikes your hair and tells you everything’s going to be ok.

^ this! You shall henceforth be our fairy godmother. With stroking of the hair, not striking

I've not had a great week as felt rough and been so tired. There's been a lot going on recently (work stress, parents both ill, home stress) and I've been feeling quite overwhelmed by it all.

It's DS2's birthday tomorrow, so I'm making it a fresh new start with the plan to make a few little but sustainable changes each day, in the hope that they will all add up to make a big difference.

Hello to those who've just joined us and well done to those who are making changes!

My first little change is to take a few minutes to check the thread each day and catch up on how everyone's been doing!

@TreacherousPissFlap that is a fab idea, I'm having that!

@MillieMoodle @HasThisSoddingNameGoneToo*@Gooseygoosey12345 @Hederex* @TreacherousPissFlap I haven’t forgotten anybody have I? If I did you’re included, we are nothing if not inclusive. Group officially formed and this time next year we will find out if changing the little things add up to changing the things that really matter. Dont lose sight of the origin of my first post, it was because it struck me that the minutiae of life was weighing you down and you weren’t enjoying what are the best days of your life. I can see you all giving it a hollow laugh as you survey the wreckage and think “the best days of my life?ha!” It is too easy to make the choice to let the small stuff spoil the lovely life that truly you do have .

@MillieMoodle @HasThisSoddingNameGoneToo PS I’m hugely flattered at the idea of being a fairy godmother (I was going to modestly dissemble but, secretly, I am tickled pink ). May I accept and hug it to myself as my happy secret if I don’t show off? To avoid me being too grandiose maybe I should be a lucky mascot as designated by my walking friends. What follows is part of my personal effort at doing the smaller things to add up to big changes . My friends walk for a week each year and are all much slimmer and fitter than I am so I joined them for the shortest day and next year I hope to be able to walk for two consecutive days. That’s the relevance for sharing this. Anyway, they stay at B&B’s and eat at the pub. Being a bit of a martini girl loving a seat in a swanky bar wearing high heels (when I can get it) I was wondering how this would go. Delighted at the standard of accommodation in the B&B’s and dinners at the pub. Both nights really comfortable and good standards all round. My friends inform me that this is not always the case, I just struck lucky, hence my nickname last week of lucky mascot ....

@HasThisSoddingNameGoneToo I’m guessing you got as frustrated as I did trying to get a name that wasn’t already taken on Mumsnet? My @Isthisblocked was a final attempt before slinging phone across the sofa and giving up.

I have made a list this afternoon and actually made a start on completing things off it. They're all very easily achievable and things that haven't been hanging around for weeks but they are going to get done this weekend - i'm sure of it

Lots to do here today before taking DC over to see my parents later this morning and then a party this afternoon:

• wrap present for party and write card
• make chilli for tomorrow's dinner (as mince will be out of date tomorrow and I don't want to waste it)
• change DS1s bedding
• change our bedding
• look through wardrobe and get rid of some old stuff that doesn't fit
• empty the kitchen of recycling stuff - DS2s birthday was yesterday and there are a few boxes in the kitchen.

Have only got 3 hours or so, so best get a move on! Hope everyone has a lovely day

I got up early today and went back to bed until 9, so not done much so far. I am no longer knackered though and it's a beautiful day.
DH works nights so will be asleep for much of today. Plan is to make pancakes for breakfast for the DC, clean up and do chores this morning, then take the kids out to the woods and garden a bit this afternoon.

Can I join too? Having my first baby in January and we're hopelessly unprepared.

We were supposed to clean the house today but we've just been lying around instead. Almost 6PM here...

@thethoughtfox I can beat that. I'm still calling mine baby weight and my baby has just started learning to drive! 😁