SUMMER HOLIDAYS HOUSE BLITZ!

[fuzzpig]

Excuse me for shouting in the title :o

My house is utterly, completely hideous. As in, can't see the floor in the bedroom, no clear surfaces, can't find anything, falling over stuff hideous.

I've never been house proud but it's spiralled further and further as my mental health got worse, and then in 2011 my physical health followed :(

Apart from when I have flare ups of my condition(s) I have just about got used to keeping on top of the two biggest things, washing up and laundry. I am doing those now since DH started FT work a few months ago (he was unemployed due to being injured for a long time and is really struggling to adjust now). He does this on weekends and does the tidying up stuff but TBH it's like trying to bail out the Titanic with an egg cup. POINTLESS.

I seriously, really and truly can't handle this anymore. The mess is making me more ill and I'm totally disgusted that my DCs have to live with it. I just want to cry. Or burn it all (but then I panic at the thought of throwing stuff away).

Anyway. DCs are on summer holidays as of next Friday. I will hopefully be recovered from current virus as I REALLY need to tackle this. But I need to be careful as doing too much will make me more ill. I keep making the mistake of doing too much and then by the time I've gone to work as well, I've messed up the entire week because I've pushed my physical limit too far. I only work 12 hours but it's a very fine, precarious line.

I need some buddies for mutual support and motivation. HELP.

Dear god

My house looks like an actual pig stye and it doesn't smell too great either

Sounds like a plan

My smallest dc is not well today so I have managed very little

Stripped half the beds
Done some washing
Washed pots

And that is all no sorting or organising

I'm going to tackle the kitchen cupboards tomorrow. Hoping other half will leave things as he likes to rearrange things in the middle of the night when he can't sleep!

Hmmm I might have a go at kitchen cupboards too

Although fridge needs a clean as does bathroom

Progress is at snail's pace here! Haven't even completed my list

DH actually has the whole weekend off so we've agreed to get the everyday stuff like laundry done today (fitting it around going out later) and then have a stay at home day tomorrow - DCs really need a quiet day anyway - where DH and I will try and make progress with proper decluttering. DCs will be watching a lot of DVDs tomorrow I fear :o

Snails place progress is still progress!

I have been there and two years on the difference to my house is amazing and the kids are following my example. It's wonderful and friends always comment how tidy my house is. I am now comfortable for friends to come around.
I followed Flylady - have to take a lot of it with a pinch of salt but it did motivate me. Best bits were:
Tidy with timer in 15 mins bursts.
Follow babysteps - starts with shining sink.
I began with bathrooms too - easy to achieve and my bedroom which was my treat- also kids are not allowed to play in it so only room that doesn't spiral into mess so quickly.
I have made a grid and tick up daily jobs which keeps house at status quo - I try to get up before kids (esp in hols) and spend an hour a day on it. I work full time so can be a struggle. But if have less time and a spare 10 mins later I know what to focus on.
One load of laundry washed, dried (have drier) and away each day...brilliant. I found a cheap shirt cleaning service so all husbands shirts go there freeing time from ironing...i fold as much other clothes as possible.
As part of daily routine I go walkabout through house with bin and pick up rubbish and any items that dont belong in that room - i put these in piles belonging to each person at bottom of stairs and then put them on their beds - no one is allowed out to play until they are properly away. That really helps keep status quo.
I then try to do 15 mins decluttering a day following their zones principle -6x 15 mins in one room per week makes a huge difference. I put declutter stuff in bag straight in back of car and have found charity shop that allows parking outside. I have to say I bin/ recycle a lot - very satisfying. Still struggling to control what comes in though especially around birthday /Christmas time.
Good luck, it will be worth it....

Feel quite cross today

Lazy "dp" has none fuck all all day and has now swanned off out

I cleaned my fridge out but that is all

A clean fridge is a Very Good Thing! Feel so much better about cooking and meal planning when it's done. I hope you gave him what for when the wanderer returned though.

Made some good progress today. Stuff I've been meaning to do for the last week but still! All clothes are away no more death trap stairs and we've sorted a few shelves/drawers.

Does feel good having nice clean fridge.

Have started sugar soaping down kitchen cupboards and am on top of all the daily jobs (washing pots etc)

LetsEscape - thanks for the post, it's really reinvigorated me. Mumof3, a clean fridge and being on top of jobs sounds great.

We emptied the loft the other day - DH was saying not to do the whole thing, but after it has taken two years to get him in there, I was determined to finish all the stuff I needed him for! Needless to say, I am now slightly regretting that as my whole house looks like a bomb has hit it! However, progress is inching forwards - many, many things posted for sale and some have sold. Just feeling a bit down that I'm still left with a lot of stuff... Not sure how long I will be able to hack it all cluttering the place up before I make a dash to the charity shop! Trying to make enough money to buy a couple of things to sort the conservatory out though, so the incentive is still there - need another hundred pounds I think....

So, tomorrow's aim -
finish posting stuff for sale.

Take a few things that I have sold to their new owners.

Put kids new books away (mum kindly returned my childhood books!!! Could have cried - have only just made some space in their rooms! Now seeing it as an opportunity and did the first sift at her house so stuff I didn't want didn't even come into the house)

Hoover - all this decluttering has left little bits all over the floor
Take rubbish to tip
Sort recycling
Put washing away

Ohhh letsescape sorry I totally neglected to thank you for your lovely positive post

I want to do some more tidying tomorrow, DSD is coming over and bringing a friend so I don't want it to be too awful!

The house I mean :o DSD and her friend are lovely not awful :o

Hmm, aims for tomorrow -

Put wash on and then hang out (it's all ready in machine just need to add liquid etc)
Put current dry clothes away - make DCs do theirs
Throw away a few bags of random crap
Continue with bathroom
Washing up
Clear out fridge/cupboards of anything unusable (I swear one day we will no longer waste anything - getting there slowly!)

So, having spent all morning surrounded by junk, I thought I would tick some things off the list to make myself feel better :)

Nearly finished posting stuff for sale.
Take a few things that I have sold to their new owners.
Put kids new books away
Sort recycling
Put washing away
Cleaned kitchen
Organised sale stuff so it didn't take over the entire house
Cleared out the games cupboard and found all the little bits' homes
Still to do:
Hoover - all this decluttering has left little bits all over the floor
Take rubbish to tip

Looks better when you write it down. Feeling like there is a light at the end of the tunnel!!

Hi everyone, been rather busy so haven't had a chance to do much, off to the park this afternoon so I want to get my hoovering done this morning if baby allows, currently sitting down with cuppa, with the kids off school I'm really lacking on the motivation side, so I need to pull my finger out, doesn't help that they are messy buggers!

Hi Ohhelp - selling lots of baby clothes / toys / books that the kids have grown out of on facebook sites. It seems easier than a car boot as I am doing it mainly when the kids are asleep. We have made more than we do at car boots so far although it is a lot slower. We thought we would give it a week and then take the rest to the charity shop. Also easier to try out selling bigger things like bikes that we only want to sell if we can get a certain minimum price.

Had a lazy few days as DH is on holiday - sold a bit more, organised DS's room and our room. Need to do DD's but think I might need a strong drink before tackling that one!

Oh three I understand that, dd1 and ds2 share a room, I sorted it when I was 8 months pregnant, 7 black bags of stuff went to the tip, you wouldn't think so looking at it now!! So will be tackling that again once baby is more into a routine.

Well done Ohhelp! Sounds like amazing progress. We have today tackled the remaining selling pile, sorting into giving to family / charity shop / dump! Now there is a small pile left in the conservatory.

I have organised the lounge - it is nearly resembling the neat ordered room it was a week ago! DH has packaged up everything into 8 boxes to go to various places.

So, a new list for today:

off to the charity shop
deliver books to someone who has bought them
organise dd's room
washing
drying
put washing away
hoover all the sand out of my house
buy smaller cat litter tray to reduce costs!!

Well done Ohhelp! Sounds like amazing progress. We have today tackled the remaining selling pile, sorting into giving to family / charity shop / dump! Now there is a small pile left in the conservatory.

I have organised the lounge - it is nearly resembling the neat ordered room it was a week ago! DH has packaged up everything into 8 boxes to go to various places.

So, a new list for today:

off to the charity shop
deliver books to someone who has bought them
organise dd's room
washing
drying
put washing away
hoover all the sand out of my house
buy smaller cat litter tray to reduce costs!!