What is the current state of your house since Christmas?

[CringleXmas]

Mine is still an absolute mess!

I've just gone downstairs and now it's the 28th I feel I need to do something about it.

The dc have toys and clothes scattered everywhere, chocolate wrappers on the floor and glitter everywhere ( don't know where from ). I've just accidentally kicked a die under the sofa which I'll have to get as I know ds will want it later. There are loads of them mini brands lying around just waiting to be stood on.

There seems to be every cup/ glass we own out on the side that needs washing. About 10 loads of laundry to do.

The funny thing is me and dp have been non stop the past few days cooking and cleaning but for some reason it looks like someone has come in, shook our house around and left us the results.

If a visitor turned up this morning, I would have to refuse them entry ( for their own safety).

How is everyone else's houses looking? Please tell me I'm not the only one still falling over stuff left lying around.

I blitzed ours yesterday morning as we were having guests in the afternoon. Started by collecting up all wrapping and packaging. Then gathered all the toys into piles according to child. Then when the piles were made, I surface cleaned the whole downstairs, and then got each child in turn to pick through their bundle for what they wanted to take upstairs vs leave downstairs. Then made sure that everything that went upstairs was actually put away.

It was refreshing to be somewhat reset!

We cut back massively on tat this year so that may have helped.

Downstairs isn't to bad as I managed to tackle it yesterday while everyone went shopping. Bedrooms need doing as all our gifts are just sitting on the floor. I've done no washing since Saturday and with a household of six, and 3 guests staying with us it's going to take me forever to do. There's 14 black bags of rubbish in the garden ready to take to the tip today too. My daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter are going home today after spending 6 days here I'm going to miss the dearly when they go it's been lovely but at the same time I'll be glad to get this house straight before our holiday next week.

It’s a tale of two halves.. I started the big clean mission yesterday and always go top to bottom so the upstairs is all shiny clean and tidy. Head down the stairs and it’s chaos, stuff abandoned everywhere so today is ‘Sort this shit out’ part 2

I have two teenagers and a toddler, let's not go there!!! 😂

Very clean and tidy.
Did a big clean on Boxing Day, I’m a minimalist anyway, so the whole house doesn’t take long at all.

By the time I've finished today, it's going to be back to normal.

I hate clutter. To be fair, there isn't much clutter here, but what there is, is making my teeth really itch.

Im off to the tip shortly to get rid of all recycling and any other crap. Decorations in the lounge are going, can't be doing with it anymore. This will probably extend to the tree.

The boys are 17 and 22 so are in their rooms doing whatever, so if there is a decorations complaint, that'll be my excuse to them.

I think there's something really bleak about taking Christmas decorations down on boxing day/day after:(

Christmas is from 25th to twelfth night

Is be interested to know how long the decorations have been up to cause such annoyance?

I'm trying to be more intentional and not be pressured by modern life into rushing the season

My house is usually visitor ready tbh but my dc are older

It'll all come down on 6th

Is be interested to know how long the decorations have been up to cause such annoyance?

They've been up 11 days.

Not too bad. Presents strewn all over the place xmas day and boxing day but I do bag up all the paper as soon as the presents have been opened. Boxing day night all the presents go into their sacks and into their bedrooms so I can do a good dust and vacuum morning of the 27th. Been to the tip this morning to chuck the paper and cardboard etc. Tree and decorations been up since 26th November so I will be glad to take it all down next week!

2 month old velcro baby and a 2 year that’s been hyped up on sugar. Bags of toys that haven't been put away, far too many toys bought by well meaning relatives (2month old has 3 big sacks) washing around our ears (including bags of new clothes for baby) and super tired! It’s all giving me a bit of a headache! Wish I’d said no presents just experiences (annual pass to the zoo/farm - but I guess where is the fun in that - and in laws always buy everything anyway).

Decorations are coming down today as I can't cope with the mess and clutter anymore and I'll be back to working from home in a few days and need it gone! I can finally get all the toys picked up and put away too and everything back in order. I love Christmas and the decorations but once it's done, it's done. Outside lights can stay until after New Year though.

It's just adults here, but the things I do, I learnt from my mother, so it's all about tidy up as we go. My mother taught me to sing the mantra 'don't put it down, put it away'.

For Christmas, we always have one or more of the special 'Christmas pudding' bin bags which we put wrapping into as we unwrap presents. Really special wrapping is saved and the box re wrapped to display under the tree when the years really presents are opened.

Dishes go straight into the dishwasher when we clear the table. Final sweep of dirty cups etc into dishwasher, which is then set to run over night, before we head up to bed.

It's obviously more difficult with more people, especially little ones.

One of my favourite games as a child was when my mother would play energetic music while we collected as many of our toys and put them in the box. We each had a box, and my father had made a red bench on sit on which had seats which lifted up. Tops were kept unit in the living room.

Looking back, much was focussed on things being tidy

I do find it overwhelming living in messy surroundings. When I get stuck like that, I pick one corner to start clearing. Once it's clear, I avoid looking at the messy part and just work outwards.

Hope you find what works for you.

Ours is fabulously clean and tidy. We did a deep clean on the 23rd before putting up the tree on Christmas Eve and hosting on Christmas Day. We use the much hated poem to give presents so not too much stuff. We have a dishwasher so nothing to be washed up. Laundry was done today and yesterday.

The glass recycling does need done.

A lot of stuff everywhere. Xmas cards seem to be strewn all over 🤷🏽‍♀️

I have done no washing for days though and that will need to change when people run out of new pants 😆😆

Respect!

Mine are usually down on the 27th but I left them up yesterday because they look nice. However, I am currently twitching because Ive finished all my washing and ironing and DH has gone into work and I can get them all down now, can't I? I'm busy tomorrow and Saturday and they must be gone for NY.

........ right you have inspired me, I'm off to get the boxes out

Toys everywhere, decorations still up, but it's fine, we keep Christmas going until after New year so it doesn't bother me, I enjoy this week of eating, lounging in pj's playing games and watching films, with the occasional walk for some fresh air 😀 If it bothers you clean up a bit, if not don't worry about it 😀

I honestly don’t get why people can’t comprehend that there’s no ‘right’ way of doing things.

Lots of people like their decorations up early as they enjoy the run up to Christmas but want to take them down once the day is over.

Others believe in the 12 days of Christmas so keep them up until 6th.

I’m in the first camp - can’t be doing with all the clutter once Christmas Day is over - and that wouldn’t be any different no matter when I put my decorations up.

We were an absolutely shitheap last night after having 14 to dinner, swear there was an opened box of Matchmakers on every surface, more shortbread boxes than you can shake a stick at, the odd elderly martini glass down the side of the sofa.
There were several rather scary items sitting in the kitchen plughole, they looked like giant insect eggs but I realised a while ago they are olive stones.
I've spend the morning in my pjs just pootling around putting things to rights. Still a lot of stuff around but everything in its (temporary) space.
Tomorrow I shall slowly start disappearing various Xmas decs until we really only have the tree left by New Year's Day.
But for now, the sofa, tea and shortbread. Then someone has to deal with the cheese. Always the cheese.

For once I’d love our house to be in a mess as we have visitors for two weeks so I’m literally picking up, wiping, sweeping every few seconds to make sure the house doesn’t revert to normal as they’re naturally tidy. I’m wrecked!!!!!

Christmas is from 25th to twelfth night

Who is the authority on that?

I’m usually really tidy and organised but the house is a tip at the moment! I’m desperate to get the decoration and tree down and do a massive sort out but it’s going to have to wait to the weekend! There are toys everywhere, dishes that need washing, washing and ironing. DH is in work tomorrow so his three day weekend are earmarked for sorting.

Current mode is shit tip, I've no energy to fix it though

My house isn’t great. Our bedroom and dd19’s are clean and tidy, dd16 and dd9’s bedrooms are an absolute state! There is stuff piled in the hallway, the kitchen is okay ish (no dirty dishes or worktops) but the table is still extended from when we had Christmas dinner and is taking up too much space, and there is a load of recycling to take out. There are boxes upon boxes of the dc’s chocolate all along the fireplace and the whole house needs a damn good hoovering and dusting.

It’ll be done at some point…

Kids rooms are a disaster but they are away so I wil tackle them this afternoon.

Everywhere else is back to normal - did 4 loads of washing yesterday and changed our bed.

We haven't been well since Xmas so that combined with kids away means I have had plenty time to potter and tidy up.

I dont have a show home but wont lie my home is spotless.
No clutter at all im a minimalist.