To think I’m the only person who’s house is a mess

[Holygrails]

So I have 2 young kids, 5 and 2 and feel like I can’t move for bloody toys, we have 6 IKEA drawers full of them in the TV stand and they still cover my lounge (we don’t have a play room and kids won’t play upstairs) I wish I was a tidier person. It is clean etc but I really struggle with clutter! We are also desperate for a new kitchen! It has needed replacing since we moved in a year ago but struggling to find the spare money although we do earn really well.

I really struggle with home organisation. My house is clean - because I do clean and tidy it, but mess relentlessly plagues me.

The toys go into their storage - I just chuck them in boxes in a kallax unit. That bit is actually not as overwhelming as all the bloody laundry and kitchen cleaning. I force myself to make sure the kitchen is properly cleaned each day. Otherwise it only gets more overwhelming. For laundry, I prioritise getting the clothes clean and dry, then they tend to live in baskets in my utility room (rather than make it to bedrooms).

Mostly I try to avoid having clutter where possible. Less stuff is definitely less overwhelming. I do need to have a proper, brutal kitchen cupboard clear out (as things do seem to accumulate a bit over time regardless) at some point.

If someone says they are coming over though, there will always be a mad dash to make my house look presentable.

Exactly this. I had an ex who, when I said we should tidy up together, used to say we should just get a cleaner. I had to explain that you can’t clean a mess.