Come on you slatterns, get your arses in gear, I stop posting for 2 days and you all start getting lazy................

[goldFAQinsenceandmyrrh]

didn't see a single bump of a slattersn thread in the 2 days I've lurked. So here we are - a brand new slatterns thread to take us over to the new year (where I think we can safely say that one of our NY Resolution won't be keeping teh house tidy at all times )

I can officialy say that:

Paper lists of things to do are SHIT. They don't work, they don't tell you how well you're doing when you update to say what you've done, they get lost under the stuff still to be sorted, and they don't give you other unrelated banter while you're having a rest from it all

So - with that in mind.

Tonight (and I use the word quite loosely as I've slept the last 2 nights so suspect there will be little sleep to be found tonight) I need to:

• Get my washing done
• Dry it
• Iron it all (it's taking over the dining room!)
• Tidy and hoover the lounge
• Clean kitchen worktops
• Empty kitchen bins
• Put dishwasher on

May add more stuff later as I realise it needs doing.

Done. Took me what, 5 minutes, yet caused a major (for me) meltdown in the process. Think work must have got to me more than I thought.

Old list...
Tidy living room done
Tidy hallway done
Tidy computer desk (bad enough it gets a listing of its own) done
Do dishes - ignore for now
Clean kitchen sides - ignore for now
Clean kitchen floor - ignore for now
Do 3 loads of washing - 1st load in drier, 2nd load in washer, 3rd load to be done when finished (or ds will have no polo shirts for school tomorrow)
Set up/sort out bank payments done

New list (1 item at a time):
Empty kitchen bin

Thank you for listening. It helped just sticking it down.

Hi Lonley,

I just wanted to say that IMHO you sound like you may need a break and sometime out. Prehaps only do what absoultley needs to be done for now and try to have some time for YOU. BTW, you have achieved loads on your list!

NBMx

New list (1 item at a time):
Empty kitchen bin done
Sort dirty washing into piles

It's shit when everything feels like a monumental struggle, feel for you LRB.

We had a nightmare on NYE, DH premises got broken into and £8k cash nicked. That was my kitchen.

I now am facing another 6 months with no sink, work surfaces or electricity downstairs while we save up again......... It's taken me up to today to be able to even think about it in a 'right this needs to be done' kind of way rather than my usual 'oh fucksticks woe is me' kind of way.

Lists are good. small chunks even better. Sometmes I even break it down as small as 'water plant on windowsill in bedroom' rather than just 'water plants'.

List for week tomorrow

DH tax return
6 hours revision
swimming?
stuff up to loft
vacuum bedroom
recycling out
washing
parcel up some stuff for ebay
email to SD mother re: timetable

ok list for tonight/tomorrow/Tuesday/Wednesday/rest of the week

• Washing
• Drying
• Ironing
• Dinner
• Get uniforms ready for morning
• Sort kitchen worktops
• Load dishwasher and put it on
• Tidy living room floor
• hoover
• Pack boxes in my room (most stuff already in boxes just needs doing properly).
• DS's in bed

Thing is I have time for me, but then when I don't get done what I need to do the guilt piles on. Guess Im finally turning into my mum. See, I don't do on a night, cos I can do at the weekend, then I don't get done at the weekend, so it goes on into the next week and... you get the idea. Queen of procrastination used to be a nickname of mine on a different (non mums) group, and it suits me well. Have an hour to go before ds needs colecting, so am gonna sort washing and get ready then sit and reward myself with a bit of fanfic before I go get him

LRB

I think most of us slatterns are like this! Keep psoting on here - I have just started and am finding it a great help.

OB, I dunno what to say. Ouch!?! Is there no way of getting any of it back through insurance? Have the cops had no luck finding the culprits?

absolutely NBM - that's why we have this thread, to at least jolly us along to do the bare minimum

FAQ

You're great!

change bed DONE
take washing out machine and hang up DONE
put bedding wash on DONE
clean bathroom
clean out rabbits cage DONE
do dishes
clean kitchen work tops
take bins out DONE
take recycling out DONE
empty small bins DONE
hoover front room DONE
sweep floors DONE
tidy up bedroom
tidy up front room DONE

New list (1 item at a time):
Empty kitchen bin done
Sort dirty washing into piles done (and is looking lots less than the beginning of last weekend)
Collect ds

NBM - I started last Sunday and found it really helpful then, maybe thats why today hit me so hard?

FAQ - I have lurked on mumsnet for a long time and remember you starting these, Although its taken me a long time to admit i need it and join in, they are brilliant. I very nearly started my first post with "Hi, I'm LRB and I have trouble getting the housework done" cos thats what it felt like, it felt like I was finally admitting it, and taking steps to help me with it.

And ya know what, despite not getting done nearly as much as I wanted to, the house is looking better than when ds left, and sooooooooooo much better than last Saturday. If I can keep on top of what I have done during the week, then next weekend top it up with a bit more, then maybe I will get to the point of having a reasonable house eventually

LRB - I felt a bit like you earlier and I am terrible for procrastinating also. Pushchair helped me

FWIT - Its took me and DH to do most of what you have done today so don't feel bad, you've got it done afterall, this on top of a busy working week.

Like i said earlier this thread is the single most practical, helpful and meaningful for me at the moment.

Crisis cleaning is over and I managed to get 4 x sandwihes and chicken portions and watercress for £1.10 - OOPS stickers are fantastic - love a good scrum down asda on sunday afternoon!!!

aww I've come over all blubbery, I started these threads to give myself a kick up the arse with the housework. I didn't expect it to help anyone else.

And fwiw, after my unmotivated weekend having done virtually nothing since my last post I have sorted baked beans on toast for the DS's, loaded most of the stuff into the dishwasher, put the last of yesterdays clothes up to dry, and gathered most of todays washing together.

But FAQ - you have done so much during week inc sorting out new home, give yourself a break.

yes but I failed to do the most important thing this weekend, ask someone at church (probably the Vicar) if they'll act as my guarantor ,

Must do that tomorrow...............it's the only thing that's standing between me and signing the tenancy agreement.

Yes you must do that tomorrow - never mind sodding house wor bigeyes says as DH irons his own shirts! If it makes you feel any better FAQ I put on 3lb and did not go to gym that I used as an excuse not to anything last weekend. I have DH to thank for getting me motivated so there I am passing it on to you.

it just feels as if I'm going to ask someone to give me their right arm, when infact unless HB takes 3 months to kick in (and if it's not kicked in after 1 month I'm going to be on their case) I'm not going to have any problems paying the rent at all. And even then I could probably scrape through, although would be eating beans on toast for the month.

I will do it tomorrow............

in the mean time I should be trying to do some of tonights list I guess

Yes, FAQ understand your anxiety I have been there myself but when I was young living in temporary accommodation. Havnt checked back at you list but get stuff out tonight ready

1. info & tel no
2. clothes out if you have to go somewhere

Just a thought.

FAQ I have to ask what was the hair in thingy from thursday about?

I forgot, here you go

Can I ask, how did you go about asking someone? I just feel really awkward about broaching in .

I have her phone number on my phone, and I won't have to take anything to hers, it's all being done online so once I get the link for the gurantor information in the morning I could email it on to her to fill in. So I don't even need to see any of her salary information.

The hair - oh exH came and cut DS1's hair on Thursday afternoon before dinner........I told him to leave it as I'd tidy it up (thought it would get my arse in gear to clean and wash the kitchen/utility room floors) - unfortunatley it didn't work, the kitchen floor is messier, and the remains of DS1's hair spread throughout

FAQ - You have not failed - simply postponed. Tomorrow YOU WILL DO IT.[WINK]

"Slatterns do it tomorrow"