Help me, have four weeks to get house organised before DD is born

[bigeyes]

Introduction

I am 35 weeks pg, I need to:

Declutter
Decorate some small areas
Finish nursery, still some shopping to do for blankets and wall decal
Spring clean

Stock cupboards freezer
Some household administration to take care of.

In the past I have suffered from some sort of domestic bipola disorder either perfect or slides in to KAOS (yes I'm down with the fat fairy). I have in the past been on the fly fledglings thread, which is excellent btw, but feel I'm on serious countdown and need to post huge lists/rants updates so as nice as they are I don't want to clutter their thread.

Please feel free to jump in and suggest, advise, tell me off where you see fit. This house is the only thing that's bothering me at moment.

I feel what I need to do is beyond normal nesting, last time I did spring cleaning and cooking, this time ive started later (scared re earlier pg issues) and seem to have more to do.

Jobs done to date: domestic affirmation!

Got DS to school and activities on time with correct stuff.
Decorated two feature walls in summer
Painted bathroom and downstairs wc and porch
Moved ds bedroom to second one and decluttered old toys last week
First coat of nursery done, furniture assembled, and decluttered stuff dumped in there over Christmas
Bought tiles, had them done by handyman
Dishwasher fitted
organised shower to be fitted this week, have collected bits from Argos.
Garden tidy up of sorts in summer front garden only.
Massive tidy out of garage in summer done is reasonable
Lots of stuff gone to charity too.

You've been very busy!

Just take it easy... All your hard work will be undone before the baby is 6 weeks old!

Unbelievably jobs still to do:

DS room
Put up dinosaur shelves a
Damp wipe paintwork
Clean window

Nursery
Second coat of paint
Get fix it man to do curtain pole
Dress cot, hang curtains etc when soft furnishings arrive
Shop for blankets

Bathroom
Back of door hooks? (to buy)
Shower fitted (booked for this Wednesday)
Window
High level tiles

Master bedroom
Arrange toiletries (stockpiled ones) into new storage
Organise drawers his/hers to fit clothes in - its really no acceptable to just pile in laundry baskets all the time.
Damp wipe paintwork
High level dusting
Windows
Fix crib together put in situ.
Shop for bumpers/blankets
Leave the large cupboard alone you hear, you did I the summer!

Landing stairs
A proper Hoover, inc edges
Damp wipe all paintwork

That would be upstairs done! I have daily cook and usual laundry to do also.

Miscellaneous
Take stuff in porch to tip/charity shop
Don't buy any more stuff.

Thanks captain, I'm pleased I've sat and wrote that to myself to take remind me how much ive done, as a lot of time I just drift onto MN and watch all rubbish tv. I've barely cooked lately jacket pots are my new best friends!

I am a SAHP and study pt with OU btw.

Do you have a DP? I'd start allocating jobs I think... Delegation, delegation, delegation!

Will you use the nursery as soon as she arrives? Otherwise that can wait surely?

Yes captain, he works or is out for 12 hrs per day, and we keep weekends for family stuff. He is terrible at DIY, hence handyman, and there is no way I trust him with a paint rush.

However he does iron his own shirts, dc's uniform. He cooked for two weeks over Xmas and does all meals at weekend. He will clean, he scrubbed new floor tiles round toilets. So YES I think there are some jobs he should do:

Windows inside all through house.
Downstairs windows outside.
High level tiles.
Landing and stairs jobs.

iggly no don't need nursery straight away, well access to change table would be handy. I would prefer to have any painting done before she arrives otherwise I can't see how I would have time after. The other nursery jobs could wait to be fair.

Gosh I'm pleased I only did upstairs list. I have hair appt this week and spa day (long awaited) next week so do have nice stuff too.

Well done you! You sound very organised already.
I have also a massive list to get through, my done list is not as impressive as yours. I have 14 weeks until DC4 arrives.

I'm glad you have a hair appt. and spa date... I literally thought you were going to spend 4 weeks up a ladder scrubbing windows and painting walls!

No no captain you just made me chortle, I sit around plenty and afternoon naps are regular. I've done naff all yet, let me plan.

Move away from MN
Paint the part of nursery that I can access, DH h as moved furniture this am. Don't worry I have a long roller thing.
Load car with charity shop stuff DH comment of the day 'I think you enjoy pulling stuff out of cupboards' after looking around lounge re under stair cupboard to get rollers thing out.
Asda for prescription and err easy food.

notso join me with your list if you like see how much we can get done together

Thanks bigeyes I'll start small so as not to scare myself!
Today;
Get off MN
put DD and DS1's old clothes into charity or ebay bags,
deep clean upstairs bathroom,
if DS2 wakes up in time get something from town for tea, if not go after picking DS1 up,
touch up scuffs in paintwork in DS1's new room and iron his curtains and new bedding ready to go up/on,
do internet shop,
get DH to investigate the box on top of DD's wardrobe for the missing Bugaboo hood,

This week,
Start sorting DS1's stuff to move across to new room,
Decide on colours/wallpaper for DS2 and DC4's new room,
sort out one cupboard in the kitchen,
start sorting DS2's old clothes out to get ready for DC4, wash the covers of the swing, bouncy chair and car seat then bag them up until needed,
General cleaning, washing, cooking etc,
Sort out babysitter for night out,
Get eyebrows shaped URGENT!!

Oh my notso you have a bit of family growing there don't you! Sounds like we in the right place.

I have a brand new bugaboo and I can't wait to take it out, and err have my DD of course to put in it.

I found doing the toys quite hard last week, putting Thomas engines in garage was sad even though he hasn't played with the, for over year. Blooming kungzhu stuff is going to charity shop though no desire to keep them things for GC and DS said they not good anyway! He only got them last xmas.

Well that's my break over. I've done some painting in nursery, not enough to tick it off but pleased with progress. Going to load car now for chairty, must say I have up the eBay ghost long time back wished I'd realised this in summer before I got big as could have got rid then instead of hoarding.

like you notso I'm off to buy stuff for tea, I'd settle for share in my telco express, never mind they've made a loss elsewhere, I'm sure we make a good co tribute on to keeping it going by buying on the hoof. Must meal plan, then actually cook the stuff!!!

Grrrr DS will grumble we not coming straight home.

Hello Bigeyes I'm usually on here requesting advice, not giving it! But I have just gone from having no babies to having 3 in 18 months so I thought I may as well offer a couple of tips.

(1) don't end up hurting your back by sorting out too many cupboards in your current bumpy state. I did this and it was silly:) I recognise the desire to have things organised but be realistic re what you can achieve; you don't want to be exhausted when your delivery day arrives.

(2) Emergency food for those days when you just cant get out: a stock of part-baked baguettes and longer life tortilla wraps are great for when you can't nip out for fresh bread, and you could have them with ham, cheese, or canned tuna or soup when you don't have anything fresh in emergencies. A few cartons of UHT milk for emergencies if you like tea/coffee. And boxes of nutrigrains or similar are slightly better standbys than biscuits when you're in a hurry. Youve probably already thought of chilli/bolognese for freezer. Microwave rice is good for the busiest days.

(3) Internet shopping for groceries at tesco or sainsburys

Good luck to you and notso

By all means do some nesting, as you see fit, but you know, when I was pregnant with my DCs, on each occasion I absolutely 'needed' the house to feel squeaky clean, and cheated by getting a cleaning company to do a spring clean about a month before...It was totally worth it. Then my Mother bought me a few hours of cleaning every week for the first 3 months, to get me over my obsessive need for a calm sanctuary.

Oh, and good luck!

Right just got in,
Get off MN Done for a little while
put DD and DS1's old clothes into charity or ebay bags, DS1's Done
deep clean upstairs bathroom,Done
if DS2 wakes up in time get something from town for tea, if not go after picking DS1 up,Done
touch up scuffs in paintwork in DS1's new room and iron his curtains and new bedding ready to go up/on,Done
do internet shop,
get DH to investigate the box on top of DD's wardrobe for the missing Bugaboo hood,

I love my Bugaboo Cameleon bigeyes, gutted I have to sell it and buy a double. I am hoping that the Donkey will fit in all the car boots I need it to so we can get one.
I know what you mean about your DS complaining about not coming straight home, I had to buy mine off with a Moshi Monsters comic, fortunately DD was in netball or it would've cost even more.

arabella I will step away from bedroom cupboard I only did it summer it's tidy but know there are dc's toddler clothes in there that I would like to give to women's refuge, maybe DH will....

Very good ideas for the stock cupboard re food. I always work backwards in house to finish in kitchen. I can't wait to do a full cupboard clear out and restock tins etc. certainly doing cook freeze thing, I remember last time I stood and cooked all weekend, all gas rings a burning!

Oh dauphin you understand my controllery, we used to have molly maid when I worked full time I had to let the go after a month I found myself following the around doin stuff checking etc, well n they were bloody expensive. Until just before Xmas I was still getting my weekly clean done before school run thenasda after, but oh not now.... I will book a spring clean if I'm not where I want to be in 2 weeks time, they couldn't come at mo, too cluttered.

So, possible spring clean
Definately carpet cleaner people, the vac is to heavy for me now with full tank of water and carpet needs er nuclear steam I think. DH might do this?

notso ooooh you got lots done, re sorting scuffs, hope my magic eraser from dr power will tone downs at least scuffs on stairs, we really do 'live' in our house ifywim.

hour box reference made me glance towards a basket, square foot ones from Ikea it has been full tightly packed of wires. No one ever gets anything out of there, now that is a job for DH, but I'm getting the urger to just chuck em on mass....who would notice.

Bumfluff just lost post update

Ok last nights update that i lost, basically got everything done, even though the only signs of visible progress are porch is clear, and painting in nursery done. The loung is still a pit if despair IMO.

Ds did start to whine at going to charity shop and Asda, I confess I turned into a pocket money job and he did help loads with carrying books etc into shops and load up shopping at till.

I did go further than easy food, we ate in Asda caff!!! I also wandered into baby toddler event and bought a lot of nappies toiletries, bottles, breast pads, cushion thing for £67, feel I got a lot.

DH 'oh it's getting very close now, oh you looking quite big now'
Bigeyes 'yes my one of toes is bled today as toenails need cutting and I cant reach, would you do them?'
DH 'yes I'll do the, at the weekend' - knob! We both did laugh about it, but my toenails still not cut.

Plans for today
DS w, d, b and school run, done
Gp appt, done
2nd b for me, done
Do online assessment for OU, when I get off here!
MW appt 1045
Hospital appt 12ish I think
Rest the school run, following by swimming.

Have handyman coming tomorrow first thing, to do shower, and I at hair appointment, tis v desperate the hair situation. Proud me feels I should have it all tidy for him, whenever he is here the place is always a tip.

Might try and clear living room/kitchen clutter, would help if ds didn't have all paints and craft stuff out.

Am knackered today, DS2 was unsettled last night perhaps due to his jabs. He had a hospital appointment today so we were out all morning. He is sleeping now and DS1 has an afterschool thing so I have a little extra time to do things.
I have already got tea half done and have done some washing which is in the drier.
I want to;
move some things over to DS1's new room,
mop DD's floor,
do more washing.
Not much I know but I think moving the stuff over will be time consuming.

notso similar days are we leading parallel lives?

I got thorough all appointments, MW asked if I mphad bag packed, err no, slipped into boots to buy all the lady garden supporting items so to speak inc cream.

HBope your DS2 settles better for you. Have just got my des to bed uniform out n packed lunch done, have quickly cleaned bathroom where handyman working. I'm too tired now to even despair at living room kitchen, feel like stig of the dump. But hey I just found a cream egg I'd forgotten about!

I am going to online assessment now, then go to bed. No cooking DH back late, he will have been fed at his work thing.

Hope to get some decluttering/finding a place for things tomorrow pm. DS has another thing after school tomorrow but we be in much earlier.

The hours a re literally flying by and the reality of newborn arrival soon seems to be fast approaching.

Hi bigeyes Hope you enjoyed the cream egg! I am feeling better after a good nights sleep thanks.
DS2 is napping and DD and DS1 are going to PIL after school so it's a good day for doing things.
To Do;
move more stuff accross, it is a long process he has loads of delicate lego models!
Sort out one kitchen cupboard,
mop kitchen floor,
put washing in the dryer or on the line and put more on,

Done;
taken tea out of the freezer,
decided on everything for the little ones bedrooms,
put ironing away

Have a good day.

That all Sounds sensible, wished my nursery was done, Xmas kinda got in the way but still....Oh we know about Lego!! Hogwarts is on top of unit in lounge? Ds want to take apart.

Done last night

Online Assessment
Tidying around, moving clutter all to table more like, but did sort some recycling had a spurt of energy last night, cleaned bathrooms just quickly though.

Done today
Shower man came, left him key to get on
Been had hair cut n coloured
Tennis bag ready with dc's snack
Casserole on oven, amazingly fresh veg prepared ready in fridge.
Laundry x 2, still more to do.

Now im tucked in corner of sofa, resting now with food and mn, not movin til school run as had less sleep last night.

To do:
School run, tennis, dc's haircut, nail appt.
Any further charity/rubbish/storage sorting to do
Get DH to move nursery furniture so can paint more.
Pondering bonfire of paperwork instead of shredding?

Carpet cleaners of suffer DH moaning if I get him to use vax?

I'd be so happy to have house clear to get on with cleaning.

Bum! My mum has just announced she is coming round, that put's pay to my productive afternoon unless I can persuade her to take DS2 out.
It is a nightmare trying to do anything with him crawling round, I have just had to fish him out the dishwasher!

Well done on the casserole and veg done, sound yum.
I hate shredding, bonfire sounds a good move.

move more stuff accross, done a bit more
Sort out one kitchen cupboard did a drawer instead
mop kitchen floor,
put washing in the dryer or on the line and put more on,done

Think your doing great, with 3dc's and 26weeks.

Hmm, we have no family near us, this an advantages at times and not at others.
That sounds cute re dishwasher but is reminding me of what I've got to come again. My dc's is 6 so been fairly easy last two years I suppose.

Had my nap earlier, woke just in time to do school run, as had turned phone off by accident so no alarm.