Is everyone's kitchen as hectic as mine? (Photo)

[harlacem0507]

A little bit outing but I wanted to know if people can relate to this hectic kitchen of mine! It gets cleaned and tidied every day but most things I can't seem to store anywhere as have very little storage in my house, but honestly, does this kitchen seem 'normal' or very unorganized, messy, chaotic etc? Because I'm not sure if I'm being overly critical to myself for having a kitchen like this or I do in fact need to seriously organise it better! (The white blob is my son!) For context I have a husband and 3 children aged 13, 7 and 15 months and work part time.

🤣 God - do you hear yourself?

Like some others, I am not a clean freak but couldn't live like that. Two older DCs should be helping you, even the 7yo should tidy her toys, can help take small piles of washing off the table, can help put stuff into recycling. If you had the floor, countertop and table clear from clutter, you could keep the bike and airer and it would still look much better.

It’s a tip and your clean clothes must smell of food cooking.

Yes this is me too!

Too much on the surface & there's no room for food prep!

I like the counter top Op.

Yes. I think Trump is an existential threat to democracy. 🤷‍♀️

I haven't read the whole thread, but I think it looks clean - no crusted food on the hob and crumbs or bits of food on the floor, it is just untidy.

Could you get one of those sheila maid racks for the drying clothes? We used to have one in the kitchen when I was a child and our clothes didn't smell of cooking.

I'd put it in the shed. It's an accident waiting to happen. Your baby will pull it down on top of herself one day and get hurt, or get hair stuck in the oily chain, or little fingers caught in the spokes.

Either you, your OH, or the 13 year old can go to the shed morning and evening to put it away and get it out again. There are three of you capable of doing this, so one of you needs to make this their job, preferably not you, though. It will take about five extra minutes. Time management is a good skill to practice.

..picture is still being approved

Clothes airer

Well OP you managed to clear it quickly so the mess was just because you were doing stuff in the kitchen that's all

Mine looks similar and I live alone. I'm autistic and find it impossible to be tidy. I annoy myself but I've had to learn to accept it. Trying to tidy up invariably makes things worse.

I do try to limit actual rubbish lying around, I put it in the bin, and put recycling by the front door and take it out daily.

I am lucky enough to have two spare bedrooms so can put the drying in there. But they just get even more untidy!

I agree. It doesn't have to be a show home, but a bike in the kitchen means nobody appreciates the fact that you are trying to get important work done in that room.

OP I totally feel you. I've got 2U2 at the moment, older baby only 1.5, and it's so hard keeping on top of it. When new baby got here, I let things slide for a while, but the mess was really getting me down.

Now DH and I have a set list of jobs we do every night when the babies are put to bed. Kitchen, dining room and living room. It's basic stuff like clearing the toys away and wiping all kitchen surfaces, quick hoover etc, but it has made a huge difference to how I feel. Sitting on the sofa with a glass of wine in my tidy home feels fantastic.

Takes about 45 minutes every night but it's so worth it, because I enjoy the evenings so much more. And coming down in the morning to a clean and tidy space is wonderful.

It also means the mess never becomes unmanageable because we start from scratch each day.

I couldn't have my kitchen looking like that but tbh i would happily sit at your table for an hour or two drinking tea with you. The place is clean and as long as you can find what you need when you need it who cares.

For bike storage. You could get a plastic box stored outside the front door. I had one for my buggy( don't drive) Keter was the brand, from Argos.
Or you could fit a bike rack somewhere like a hallway
For washing consider a Sheila maid ceiling airer above stairs or on the landing
A pulley brings it down to put washing on then pull back up
I had a tiny house with 3 boys with bikes skateboards etc and I tried to use every square inch

Well, it probably won’t get rusty if it’s a modern bike, DD’s old bike was in our garden for a couple of years and didn’t go rusty. So if he’s using it daily it’ll be fine or you can get a bike tarp to sling over it and if you’re worried about security cement some kind of rack in the garden? You can’t have a bike in the kitchen like that all the time!

DH takes his bike up and down the garden to the shed every morning and evening (through the house first as it’s a terrace) so it can be done!

OP I think there is a difference between tidy, dirty and unorganised. I think your kitchen is untidy and disorganised.

As others have said the simple things like the Ella’s and can should just be in the bin but nothing to be concerned about overall - it just takes a bit of discipline.

Organisation is your friend. Hooks, containers etc. Things can be organised and feel better. Good luck.

Very messy, but it seems storage is your issue. Everything needs a home, or it goes in the bin

I'm not too bothered about keeping things immaculately tidy, but I'd feel quite flustered trying to function in there. I couldn't tell if it was dinner or breakfast time, all meals are available! I'm not sure I'd accept a cup of tea if I was offered one either, although it doesn't look especially dirty - the first impression of rubbish on the surfaces and everything everywhere would make me feel you weren't doing the basics.

I don't think it'd take you that long to get things put away and tidied, probably less than an hour. I'm not sure what you could do with the bike and the airer, I'm guessing you've considered all other possible solutions. I'd be tempted to get a lean-to structure built on the back if I could, to sling the bike and the washing under.

So the bike is your 15 year olds? Surely he's capable of going to the shed twice a day?! Why at 15 should it fall to you?!

Ours looks like this as well.

We have 3 small children and both work full time.

I can relate.

Sorry your excuse about not putting the bike in the shed is really lame!

How about your DH does it, shouldn’t be hard even with a broken collarbone. Or even your son?

Me: skips to page 8 of the thread about a messy kitchen to see where the discussion has got to

You: I think Trump is an existential threat to democracy. 🤷‍♀️

I think that might be enough internet for one day

There is a lot going on here. This amount of stuff out would personally make me feel stressed.
Could you dedicate a weekend sorting and organising? Maybe make sure everything has a place.
If it doesn't bother you then who the hell cares!

Yeah, you keep telling yourself that if it makes you feel better...🤣

You can choose who you do/don’t give money to. I’m simply pointing out that Flylady supports Trump. Whether people choose to support her or not is their choice.

Thanks for being so flippant about the demise of my country. 👍