Fellow Shit-Tippers - Anyone want to join my thread for sorting your house out?

[RefereezaWanka]

I have tried Fly but can't stick to it. I need a plan! And I need support

Help me,I am drowning...

Haven't done fridge yet .

Got up this morning full of get up and go,and started tackling the bathroom which was worse than I thought (black on sealant etc).Was a good job well done but a lot more time consuming than I hoped.

Now only time to put another washload on (but I'm seeing the light at the end of the tunnel with that),clean kitchen floor and do washing up before playdate.
However the last washing has now become a little bit of an emergency as I realised I hadn't unpacked and washed PE kit yet and it's back to school on Monday.

I'm very frustrated as I really feel in the mood for getting on with a good sort out but I can't as I'm committed...

I haven't done the fridge yet. I haven't really done anything, other than yet more laundry. The children are driving me mad, and I have them at home until Wednesday. PE kit! Thanks for the reminder! Don't think I've even opened the bag yet!

Our cupboard wall unit thing is arriving at some point today. Actually quite excited, it's going to be great having all our games in one place!

I, OTOH, feel like shit today, didn't get to sleep until about 5, woke up at half 8 and am too wired to sleep :(

Lots to do this weekend, sorting out DD's uniform etc, also gathering some baby things as I recently found out a young lad at my work has a little girl and he was very pleased at the prospect of some clothes/toys etc for her :)

And while I was writing that the wall unit arrived yay!!!

Ooh Haunty a new cupboard to fill with crap help get things sorted!

I ALWAYS forget the bloody PE kits, but luckily this time as DD2 actually remembered hers & I got fed up with falling over it in the hall it got done! Just need to scrub off the footie boots I think the child can do that one!

Now DD1 is in 6th form she doesn't do sports..hurrah!

ironing ALMOST done, laptop fixed. Just got to take some spare wooden rubbish to the bonfire heap & then shopping.

Also sorting out for our bonfire night next week- hog-roast snack & drinks for 700 ......yes I'm mad but it's (sort of) good fun!

Good Grief Bossy!!!Drinks for 700.You're a good woman,that's what you are.

Right, been out to get new school shoes for the kids and now a quick cuppa before cleaning out animals/watering houseplants and drying the blasted PE kit.I'm kind of hoping that if I can get the houseworkey bits done today - including ironong school stuff/sorting school bags etc,I can get on with a bit of a sitting on my arse watching TV decluttering day tomorrow.Oh,bugger,just realised also got to do a bedchange too.

Haunty if you've got any space in your new cupboard,I can fill it....

Have agreed with DH that he gets an hours kip and I'll clean out the animals if he does the fridge.Yay!!!!

Our cupboard looks so nice :) got all the board games in (with the biggest ones resting on top - didn't realise quite how many we had ) and lots of DC's games and puzzles, so there's more space in their room too. Also got wii games/remotes, DVD books (we use those caselogic things to store all our AV) and the laptop, and still have plenty of space!

Our landlord also arrived to take their old washing machine away so we have more space in the kitchen, we've been clearing up a lot since and rearranging stuff. First productive day we've had in ages :)

Haunty I bet you feel really good.Fantastic (I'm feeling more than a bit of your cupboard).

I got as far as cleaning out animals then realised I needed to go for my run and be back in time to paint kids faces so they can go out on a Halloweeny thing.

Sans children MN is very tempting but I know I must pick up the pace again...

If I get on perhaps DH will do fridge as he promised.

If I had a profile on MN I would've uploaded a pic or 3 by now. It is beautiful. And I just discovered my piano music also fits in really nicely at the top so I won't have to keep digging around in the other cupboard, which had a shoelace tied round the handle as DS kept raiding it.

The other good thing is that we've used the opportunity to implement the new 'must put away game before getting new one out' policy. Wed always felt rather hypocritical trying to tell DD that as we weren't good at it ourselves should be easier now it's all in one place.

So, how long d'you reckon before it's all messed up :o

Anyway, have done really well, cleaned some shelves for the second time in 3 years among other bits and pieces, feeling pretty good now but in definite need of an early night!

Going to try to sort out more of their toys tomorrow, but I really struggle with that. Stuff they have plenty of like duplo, train track etc is easy (we have Trofast units from ikea and some of those lustworthy Really Useful Boxes) but what about all the random that has no category?!? I have no idea what to do with it :(

It sounds great Haunty and I reckon it will stay like that so long as you're careful not to add more without culling what's already there. It seems its so much easier when something has a place,and a sensible place you can access easily to both get things out and put them away

I still need to face the toy sort.I have a big Ikea 'trunk' for random toys.

I think I aim to do too much in one day,then fail and get disheartened.I reckon perhaps it's a case of deciding what to do today and then allowing the whole week for it.At least it'd get done slowly then rather than not at all when I give up before I've really started.

Also it's overwhelming when there are so many 'urgent' things to tackle at once.Do you tackle the easiest so you can see the progress you've made,or the hardest so the worst is done?Or do you do the bit that's causing the most problems?Or tackle particular areas as the urge strikes?

The Urge is quite useful, spontaneous tidying can be the most successful IME.

We have a whiteboard in the kitchen and we have agreed the best approach for proper tidying, as opposed to day-to-day stuff like washing up where DH would rather just get on with it, is to write lists. Only a few things at a time, really small things. So instead of "tidy living room" which is a mammoth, unapproachable task, we break it down into smaller bits like "collect all toys together for upstairs", "clear random crap off table", "vacuum" etc. Much nicer as you get a great feeling when you tick stuff off. :)

Proper, 'deep' tidying is really hard when you aren't good at the everyday stuff. When we agree to a tidying day, DH tends to want to just power through the everyday tidying to get it as clear as possible, but that frustrated me - my argument was that it just moved stuff around, and we needed to do proper sorting out elsewhere to make room for it all. He's finally been forced come round to my way of thinking though :)

Oy yes when i have "The Urge" I could do all the chores & invade a small country by lunchtime!

sadly it doen't happen that often!

Haunty you're right breaking the tasks down into small chunks is much easier & VERY satisfying to tick several things OFF the list.

I try to do a general "things that need doing" list for us ALL to share rather than one person having to do all of it (ie me) The DD's are quite good at doing stuff when nagged to death asked but I feel I shouldn't have to keep asking.

However as they are teens & have the inability to see stuff under their noses till they've run out of underwear/clean cups/etc I find leaving them a list does work.

I am about to do a list.In small chunks.

Lot more to do today than I thought so no real decluttering but I'd like to do a couple of general jobs that have been outstanding for a while plus get into 'good order' for return to school and work tomorrow (end of booked annual leave - boo-hoo!)

I hate getting to silly o'clock on Sunday night and realising uniform needs ironing,homework needs doing,it's teatime,and the kids need a hairwash.....

Silly o'clock reminds me - change clocks.(back or forward? )

"Fall back- Spring forward " is the only way I remember Countess

Thanks for quick response Bossy!

Reckon I'll make that the first job,then it won't seem like I've wasted invested so much time in reading my book and on MN this mornong

Your welcome, was just trying to tear myself away from MN passing through!

hello, is it too late to join your thread?

i hate flylady too. i've discovered i'm a very notional person and work best when the mood takes me rather than when i have scheduled myself to do some housework. i'm also a night owl so telling myself to do an hour everymorning just isn't working.

i plan today to get my spare room into some sort of order. i moved in, in july and everything i couldn't immediately find a home for was dumped in there and you literally cannot get more than a foot in the door now. i need it as a storage room, but a tidy, organised storage room!. so the plan today is to make at least a start on it. the rest of the house needs a reallly good deep clean but the spare room not being useable is hindering the deep clean as i need to move alot of stuff up there out of the way of the main living areas. so this has to be a priority. i'm giving myself until the 1st of nov to get it sorted, so a good bit of buffering time for when i'm not feeling in the mood

there are lots of plans to help you get your house in order. i think the best one is to know yourself an dbe realistic about what you will actually do as opposed to what you want to do.

Hi HeresTheScaryThingBooyhoo!

I have been and done clocks and given them a clean (kitchen one was BEYOND filthy) so I have earned popping by!

Sounds like a good job in your spare room.Hope you've got some storage.I've got a storage shed which involves (among other things) a couple of sets of staging and plastic boxes,as I've no spare room in the house.Trouble is its limited as mice will eat anything fabric if the damp and mould don't get 'em first.
It is good though for things like the kids painting stuff and plastic toys.

I'm now off to keep on top of washing.

Hi again folks :)

We've had a good morning, considering it was dh's turn for a sleepless night so we had a slow start and the changed clocks always throw me a bit. But so far we've done loads in the kitchen, and after lunch the DCs will be stuck in front of even more DVDs so we can get some stuff done upstairs. There is SO much random stuff in our bedroom that it is hard to even get to the wardrobe and put clothes away!

well i took a notion to put my washing line back up again. it blew down about 8 weeks ago and i hadn't gotten round to putting it back up again, but my tumble dryer broke a few weeks ago and i have been loathed to put the heating on to dry my washing, so i took the dry weather today as an opportunity to get some washing dried, i also put up a second line so will get double the amount of stuff out there and hopefully save a bit on heating bills.

going to hand the rest of the wash that wouldn't fit on the lines ( i have a n 8kg machine and both lines wont take it all) and then get stuck into spare room.

countess i dont have great storage in spare room. i have a canvas wardrobe and set of shelves, a free standing clothes rail, a cot?? and lots and lots of plastic and cardboard boxes. i just need to organise everything so i know where it all is and it's accessible. can't afford to buy permanent storage units at the minute so thsi will have to do until i can.

threads like these really do motivate you, dont they?

Checking in again for mutual praise fix!

Have found out there's a local jumble sale soon so all the stuff I had earmarked for charity shops will soon be going to some nice lady's garage...hoorah!!

I HATE throwing things away if I can recycle/re-use them so I always end up with black bin liners full of stuff for other people littering the hall or my car boot.

I'm trying to get hold of her so I can clear things TODAY!

Someone mentioned the TROFAST system early from IKEA- brilliant for storage HeresTheScary if you need some for your junk room storage room!

Well done all!!

here the basic unit

I got 2 & slotted them together one upside down on top of the other so they made a complete unit. Gradually bought extra boxes as I could afford them.

Loadsa room for crap storage!

Trofast is awesome. We have 2 tall units and a shorter one for clothes.

Booyhoo are you just rearranging stuff or are you getting rid of stuff too?

Can't stop - too busy slogging,but just helps to check in every now and then to reassure myself I'm not alone.

Keep at it!!!!

at the minute i am rearranging it so i can actually see what is what. most of it will probably be sold/charity shopped/dumped. it is alot of kids clothes/toys and my clothes that dont fit. some of it is to go into the roofspace. but today's mission is just to get it in some sort of order.

i also dont want to buy storage until i know what i'm keeping, and therefore, needing to store. but thank you for teh trofast link. that looks really good.