FGS! I am such a slattern. Fly types - help me, pretty please?

[MrsMattie]

OK, I need your help tidy types

I tried the whole Fly Lady thing once before and it was a total flop. (I couldn't hack the constant emails, for starters). But now I need to change my ways and get my house into some sort of order before I go loopy...

Thing is, I am a bit of a split personality: a complete and utter slattern with a tidy freak inside trying to burtst out! By which I mean - mess really, really stresses me out, but I am a lazy arse when it comes to housework and get easily overwhelmed with it all.

So...we have soent the last year renovating our house. It has been extremely stressful, but is now very nearly completed. Builders have gone, house is painted and we have a bit of new furniture etc. However, now we actually have to unpack boxes and sort things out - chuck stuff, organise stuff etc. Also need to get into a good pattern of keeping the house in some sort of shape, which we have never really managed before.

Where do I start?

I am a SAHM, with 3 yr old DS and a 2nd baby due in 5 weeks time. DH is self employed, a workaholic, but does have time and is willing to help on weekends.

I need a routine that will keep the whole house relatively tidy and clean without em spending all my time doing housework.

HELP ME! (Please!)

bump

You probably know this already, but you need to declutter before you can think about cleaning. Do it room by room, be ruthless, trips to charity shops, skip. Then you could try the weekly house cleaning routine fly lady recommends - hoover, clean bathroom, wash floors, dust, polish etc. Plus do the daily jobs she recommends - clean your fridge (or whatever the mission for that day is.)

LOL at "utter slattern with a tidy freak inside trying to burst out". Me too. (Arses about on MN while house lays in disarray - and I know I shall regret it in precisely 30 mins when I have to collect DS from school).

Will reply properly later, am waiting for a repair man to come. But I decluttered big time before I moved house, and it hasn't come back (yet) so there is hope! Need to go and quick tidy before he comes now.

The emails are a bit much, but you could still do the Fly lady routine.Check the Fly thread on here each morning to get the days mission.

other top tip is lots of storage. I have basket type storage things in living room for magazines, books, dvd's and toys. Also have them in hall (for stuff to go upstairs) and in my bedroom and plastic stacking boxes for toys in dc's bedroom. My house is not spotlessly clean but it's tidy which makes me feel less stressed, and it's quick and easy to clean when I get round to it.

Hello...and thank you for your replies!

I've been on the Fly website again (scary!) and am trying to implement some sort of morning and before bed routines, plus do a 15 min declutter per day. Gonna do that for a week and see how I go.

Storage - yes. trying to sort that at the moment. Toys are a problem. I think I actually need to give a lot of DS's toys away - he's got too much stuff. Shoes are also a problem. Between us me and DH have loads of shoes, but wardrobes and underbed storage already bursting at the seems, and don't want to keep every pair of shoes I own in the hallway. Hmmmm...

Definitely need to be ruthless with toys, especially before christmas. Don't do what I do though and put them in the shed and garage, becasue then the shed and garage urgently need decluttered

I have shoes in a large trunk type thing in my bedroom, and ruthlessly get rid of some when it gets too full.