Help me!

[spingey]

My house is horrible at the moment....just horrible. Im so ashamed of how bad it has got. Im feeling pretty low atm but I know that if I can sort the house it will go some way towards lifting my moods.

Today Im going to tackle the living room and get some washing done.

Anyone about to just kick me up the bum and keep me motivated.

Have made a list of everything I need to do:

Take all the dishes
tidy up
put toys away
throw any rubbish out
shred paper work
wipe down/dust surfaces
hoover

I want the room spotless by tonight so that tomorrow I can focus on another room. (sorry if I sound pathetic, I am pretty pathetic atm, but Im trying to be better!)

Thanks Bossy. It took a LOT of energy not to tell her to just SHUT UP. I don't plan on doing tooooo much tomorrow - I have a long week ahead of me with early starts and late finishes... but I'll check in to see what everyone is up to :)

Morning everyone. Not sure if anyone wants to continue this today but I just thought I would post here as I fell asleep before I got everything done last night.
Today I need to:
Have a quick tidy up of the living rom
hoover
make lunch
take kids out to the park
finish cleaning the kitchen
bath the kids
do a load of washing
put clean washing away.

I want to get everything done on my list today. Thanks for all the support yesterday! :)

Oh I think it's both dp and me bossy. certainly he's not great at clearing things away as soon as they've been used but we also just both make more coffees, use loads of pots for cooked breakfast and get caught up chatting or doing stuff w dd so it's not like weekdays when I just get on with clearing everything up asap...

We were up all last night with poorly dd so today it's just resting and getting through the day I think... I'd like to get some internet admin done but the house is going to have to wait! Good luck and happy cleaning to those of you more busy today!

spingey, thank you! Really helped yesterday. I make lists but don't always do it so it's definitely the sense of being accountable I think - reporting back.

Hope today's started well!

I would like to steam mop the kitchen and bathroom floors, and do the ironing. That will have to wait until dh gets home - don't like 1 adult, 2 bouncy kids and hot iron combination. The dcs rooms are messy again but tbf, they have played together brilliantly and let me get on with stuff so can't complain. At least they are clean. I'll try and keep on top of living room though.

Mackrelmint - I find exactly the same. Dh and I are both more productive on our own, together we get into kick back and relax mode which is lovely but doesn't get much done.

He'll bath the kids later, and probably clear up kitchen while I iron.

Hiya
Feel the same as you sometimes and i live in a 2 bed house with the kids in one bedroom also ...BUT no matter how hard you try they always seem to spread out their stuff into every other room!
But I managed to sort my room out today, moved a cupboard into the front room for more storage gave upstairs a real good hoover. Nice Lunch has been had and feeling much better...still lots to do but that can wait.
Don't know about you but i never seem to utilise my storage, sort your drawers and cupboards then designate your "stuff" to that area...(thats my next job on the list!) Good luck x

Im glad this thread has helped everyone else too. I often feel lie I only post on here when I need help or want to have a rant about soemthing so its nice to feel like I have contributed something for once.
Tell me about it finsophmum Im forever finding bits of lego in my bed or the steal things from the kitchen like my spatula's and tea towels....I find those in very odd places too!
Today started off pretty lazy for me. Made the kids a late lunch and we went out to the park which was nice although Im freezing now!

I have done some washing and dried it
cleared the dining table in the living room and cleaned it
folded up all the clean washing
and done a load of dishes.

Still got plenty to do but hopefully the kids will go straight to bed tonight and I can carry on then. Hope everyone else is doing ok!

Good for you for getting on with it. Wish I could. I find the whole thing so depressing. Here I am, bright and articulate, and I cannot get my head around housework. It's just so RELENTLESS! There are 6 of us and it never stops, whether or not I'm working. There has to be an alternative.

Sitting room was looking fine (ish) till dd3 decided to design Barbie dresses. Dd1 helpfully got out sewing machine in dining room to help. Ds and dh have been getting muddy in the woods all day with a scout activity so more laundry. I don't want to be Mrs Gripey any more, I just want a tidy house I can clean quickly!

Well I've done the ironing. And that's it, got a bit of a headache this afternoon, and felt too blegh to mop.

Shall we keep this up? I'd like to, my to do lists will be really short over the week but it would still help to tick them off I think. Thanks again spingey.

Tomorrow - bathrooms.

Hi all,

Late to the list again but wanted to say thanks to everyone who's posted so far. As I'd written my list in public I felt compelled to get it done,so by the time I'd hopped in my bath I could really enjoy it without any little niggles.

My list today was:
Empty all bins
Wash and dry both sets of bedding and remake beds
Clean kitchen floor
Hoover through flat
Wrap MIL's pressie and organise cards
Move bookcase out of DD's room and give to freecycler
Keep on top of washing up

Whilst I was on the hunt for the cards I ended up completely reorganising one of our large storage cupboards and threw away loads of stuff - so that's one less thing to do!

My list for Monday:
Clean windows in living room
Clean mirrors
Go to post office
Drop some books off
Take DD to zoo
Get dinner in slow cooker early!
Mark books
If time spend 15 minutes sorting through an area of clothing/accessories/toiletries

Hope everyone is well (and all headaches are gone)

One thing that always strikes me in these declutter threads is we don't make all the mess it's created by our families too & yet it is US that has to clear it up.

I think it's only fair that the kids do their share, just a little at a time until they are older. (sorry to repeat myself!)

Make time for a short "team talk" and sit them round the table and include them in the planning of chores for the next week. Tell them the reward will be a less grumpy mummy and a trip to the park/cinema/choose your treat if everyone helps. Get them to suggest one thing that they have noticed needs doing, and one thing they could do to help-if it's the same thing even better!

Keep it short and sweet and lots of praise. Repeat it again the next week and look at what worked & what didn't. You can keep it very lighthearted but the fact you are letting them have a voice and an option really motivates them!

hello everyone.

Both kids have been at school/nursery this morning and have been very naughty and done nothing.

However my mum is coming over in a mo and we are going to do some decluttering so hopefully the place should be looking even better by the end of the day!

Thing is, if you focus on too much at the same time you'll set yourself a failing target. You have to set your targets, then add a start point and a finish point. By this I mean, you must clearly know where you're going to start, and what you'll do next. You seem to have general plans. This may be overwhelming for you. When you fail, you only feel worse about it.

My suggestions: Set points each day from start to finish. What are you doing first, second, third. Once you've achieved the first five, reward yourself with a cup of tea and a rest (for example). Then continue...

First and foremost, tidying the kitchen and bathroom are the most important things when you want a house to look different. There may still be work to get done, but these two rooms make the most impact where neatness and de-cluttering is concerned.

Gather the things you don't use and throw them out. This will give you more space to work in. I hope this helps. Please feel free to contact me here or at my home improvement blog if you need more tips. ourdiyprojects.net

I got a poorly daughter today lying on the sofa so the cupboards are getting a sort out. Have listed a load of stuff on freecycle and have got takers! only hope they come and get it!
Glad you had a rest spingey and nice that you had a bit of help to declutter with your mum.

finsophmum Good for you for the cupbords blitz-very statisfying isn't it?!

One tip I learnt the hard way from freecycle. I gifted the items in the order the requests came in as I felt it fairest. One girl mucked me around so much I wasted 2 days waiting for her to collect. I then gave her a deadline & then wen to the second on the list and she was there in the hour with her Dad. (Now I give them a deadline from the off, or it goes to the next on the list!)

It was a lass who had just moved out of her family home & needed a bed so I was glad it was going to a good home as it was almost new. She emailed me after to say thanks and what a comfortable night her DS had had in their new home. So you get a decluttered cupboard and a warm fuzzy feeling from gifting the stuff to a new home. Win-win!

Hope your poorly one is better soon.

spingey hope you had a good catch-up & clear-out with your mum

Oh i know, am lucky both lots picked up and gone today.
I had a cracker when I was getting rid of the baby stuff, a young girl answered my post and came and got it straight away. I thought great young girl with sense not to waste money on things you get such little use out of.....then she tells me its for her dad who's having another kid at 51!!!! anyway as long as its out of ma house!!