to ask how you become organised and together? Seriously how??

[inatrance]

This is a question for any of you who used to be disorganised/flaky and are now organised and sorted. I have been like this for so long and I drive myself and everyone around me crackers. I'm unbelievably forgetful, I am late a lot and I'm rubbish with finances. I'm so fed up of cringing because I'm so bloody rubbish and make stupid mistakes all the time!

I've got an 8mth DS and a 10yo DD and while I've always had disorganised tendencies, since I had DS, it's gone from bad to ridiculous and I feel like I am constantly trying to catch up with myself.

I'm self employed (which is for the best as even I'd have sacked me by now) and have somehow managed to run my businesses haphazardly over the last ten years without fucking up too massively. Well, not often anyway...

Well, no more, I've had enough. I am using the New Year to kick me up the arse and I need your help.

If you used to be crap and are now brilliant and incredibly organised, please, please tell me how you did it. What changed in your mind and where the hell did you start?

It's taken me about 2 weeks to read this thread, but I have finally reached the end & thank-you for all the fabulous tips!

I started Fly Lady last Jan & it has really helped me get on top of things (I ignore all the bits I think are shite, like dressing to shoes & writing myself inspirational messages). I am a definate planner, so doing a load of laundry every day really helps, I even have (loosely) set days where I wash certain things (kids bedding on a sunday, their towels on a wednesday etc)

Meal planning is the bane of my life, having a huge pile of magazine clippings & bookmarks on the PC of things I wanted to make & yet being unable to ever find the damn thing. Also, DH not being able to make the meal on the planner because he didnt know where to find the recipe. So I started putting them all on my Blog - it is possibly the most un-bloggiest blog ever as I've just written it for me & DH, but you can tag recipes (e.g. "meals that DD1 likes") which I find really useful. I have the meal plan on there so DH can see & all he has to do is click the link & he can see what needs chopping while I sort out the baby! I have also set it up so I can email things to it, so if I see a nice recipe I send it to my blog & it is there, saved (as a draft post) rather than me printing it off & adding it to the humongous pile of recipes I previously had.

After almost having a mini breakdown last week, I think I may be making progress on this organising lark!

I can't post too much now as I'm too busy being organised . I have set my alarm for 5.00 a.m instead of 6.30 and having that extra 90 minutes before the boys get up is making a big difference. I'm absolutely shattered, mind you, but something had to change because I've been in tears nearly every day since Christmas!

Hazie, what time do you go to bed for a 5 am wake up?

About 11/11.30. At the weekend around 12.30 ish but I'm getting up at 6.30 at the weekend, I don't think I could handle 5am after a glass of wine!

Hazie! Surely that is too late for such an early rise

Can't you go to bed earlier and help me do the same?

I can't go to bed earlier, I would never sleep. By the time boys are in bed and we have finished dinner it is around 9:45 then I need a couple of hours to organise things and relax.

Dh is up at 4:30 am and leaves the house by 5:00 every day as he has a long commute, and I normally stir when he is getting ready anyway. I hope these early morning starts don't turn me into a miserable sod like him, because he is seriously grumpy!

Well I am seriously impressed!

Has everyone tested their smoke alarms lately?

Doing mine today,so thought I'd share in case it jogs anyone else's memory....

We have a smoke alarm?

My smoke alarm is wired to the mains (as the law requires for building regs) so does not need checking and it goes off enough while I cook to check it works

A good article in today's Times2 about the power of the to-do list :)

My method for dealing with receipts is to have an A4 envelope in the hall cupboard where I put all receipts except ones that are extended warranty type receipts. At the end of the month I seal the envelope, write the month and year on it and then file it in a filing cabinet. At the same time I start the next month's envelope and remove last year's equivalent envelope from the filing cabinet and shred it. So next week January 2012's envelope will go in the cabinet, January 2011's envelope will be shredded and February 2012's envelope will be started. It takes only a few minutes.

Personally I'd only keep them for six months but I'm married to Mr Cautious!

Hi everybody, its taken me ages to read this and the flying thread, but I've finally managed it, and I have to say, my house is starting to see the benefit and I'm feeling like I'm beginning to make headway - yay! Checking in and seeing what others do has been motivational.

I too would appreciate a copy of the master list if there is one going around

I have a small tip for those of you with messy linen cupboards - when I iron sheets, (or not if they've been taken straight from the line) I fold the bottom sheet and the pillow cases and then wrap the duvet around it if you see what I.mean, you then have a bedding 'package', I don't have a linen cupboard, but a draw, its been the only thing that has been organised in a house full of clutter. When you need to change the sheets, you only need to pick up the parcel, rather than search for matching stuff.

Now I just need to stealthy chuck out some of our old linen which is currently residing in a box in the loft. 2 yrs ago we got a king sized mattress, therefore making our many many old double linen sets redundant (half of which we never used anyway). dd's room doubles as a spare room, and her bed folds out to a double, this has only been done once in 2 yrs, but we have 3 full of the nicer double sets in the linen draw, 'just in case'. The box in the loft is gigantic and contains god knows how many crap, miss matched sets, again, 'just in case, because you never know'. Dh adament that they will be useful, e.g, as a dust sheet, all well and good, but difficult when they are in the loft....gah! One (baby) step at a time, I will get there! The 'to do' list is a big help to me, will search out for the article mentioned above.

I'm afraid nigel hasn't got back to me on the master list :( Sorry all!

Oh and Helen, you and LeQ have given amazing help through out this thread, thanks. It is possible I may love you a little bit :o

Sorry Mr Cautious! :o

I am stealing your envelope for receipts idea. Only I will keep one for every three months as I don't buy enough for a monthly one!!

Power of to do lists currently being discussed on BBC breakfast news.

Amendment to laundry parcel post above, re read it and haven't explained it very well - fold the duvet into a quarter of original size, place the bottom sheet and pillowcases in the middle of that, then fold one side of the duvet over the top, then the other - you can no longer see the pillowcases etc and the duvet quarter has been split into thirds. I think if possible, that may be a worse explanation, but hey Ho!

Sorry, coming in a bit late to this thread and am very impressed/enthused by some of these tips.

Someone mentioned a master list... any chance of a PM with the info? Pretty please? With a cherry on top?

I am finally finished decluttering!

The whole house feels better, my head feels better and we are slowly but surely keeping the house the way that I have always wanted it.

I would also love a copy of master list - just to keep on track.

We have had our bedroom, hall stairs and landing redecorated, re carpeted. Built new wardrobes in our bedroom and it is amazingly calm and 'show homey'

Downstairs cupboards all organised, including the dreaded Cupboard Under The Stairs - you know, where things get chucked and are never seen again. It is done, it is organised, it has 2 containers of dog food, the hoover and dog walking coats and a box of our wellie boots - 2 bags of shoes that dont fit got sent to charity.

waffler I know what you mean about duvet parcel, I do that with pillow slips, but have never included bottom sheet. Good idea.

If anyone does do a master list I would love a copy.

I sorted out all the "spare" linen a few weeks ago - I put 4 sets of bedding in the charity bag!

jax am exceedingly jealous, well done you. I've made some good progress on main rooms, but not yet ventured under the stairs or pantry - both prime crap collecting, supremely cluttered areas in our house. Need to be ruthless, may get around to it next week

What a great thread! You have all got such good ideas and systems. It has taken me days to read all the way through (meanwhile the chaos increases!) but I am really inspired to get my house into better shape so I can spend more time with the kids enjoying myself.

If there is a master list I would be SO grateful if someone could PM me. I really need all the help I can get. Thank you

Hello!

Have spent the morning reading this thread. I love you all. You've made a sick woman very happy.
You're giving me hope for the future. Would also love a list if anyone gets their mitts on one.

Time to start making lists...