What five things do I need to do each day without fail, I'm talking right back to basics

[TrinityTrinityTrinity]

I'm trying to force myself to shower every other day which isn't working at the mo but I am showerin more than I was so it is working to an extent iyswim

next is five things that I can do every single day around the house, force myself to do and it will become habit

right now the house upstairs is drowning in clothes

the dishes need doing and I feel like I never get a chance to breathe and I'm trying to stop drinking

just to give you some background is all

'm drowning in everything so I'm talking really really basic, acheivable five things

Ive lost sight of normal

so what do you think

real basic

Undealt with paperwork is a right royal PITA.

Any tips for dealing with that (other than the shredder) would be great!

Sorry- slight thread high jack!

Restrung whirlygig? I don't even know what a whirligig is, let alone knowing how to restring one

Paperwork I can help with as I am a bit anal and now have a System (TM):

1. As soon as stuff arrives, put it in a really annoying place (for me it is the centre of our biggest work surface in the kitchen) so that you get so annoyed with it so quickly that you have to deal with it at regular intervals and it never gets beyond you.

1. Take everything out of the envelopes and shove those straight in recycling. Shove all the inserts that come with the main paperwork straight into recycling too (unless it is something like an insurance handbook etc. which you obviously need to keep). You may miss something useful like a money off voucher, but 90% of it is utter crap and not worth your time.

1. Unfold everything and pile it neatly. It immediately looks like you have dealt with a lot already and then seems less daunting than a pile of envelopes with flyers spilling out of them. You can take a break now if you want (5 mins, 5 hours, overnight, whatever)

1. Sort into two piles - 1) reference (e.g. bills for anything done by direct debit, receipts) and 2) things you need to action (bills to pay, appts to make, forms to fill in).

1. Get your cheque book out and a pen and a cup of tea and a packet of biscuits. Deal with all the actions in one sitting. Eat all the biscuits.

1. Either file the reference things and the actioned things in a compartmentalised way (I have folders and sub folders ) or just in one big folder. So long as you know where your keep your paperwork, you'll know where to find them should you ever need them.

This is a pain when you have a big load, but if you stick to the golden rule of letting it pile up in a really annoying place, then you'll actually deal with it a little at a time and it then never takes too long.

Hope that helps a bit. Failing that, I'd probably be quite happy to come round and sort out your paperwork for you for a small consideration (chocolate ice cream, packet of digestives, you get the picture) as I really am that anal when I set my mind to it (crap at housework but anal about paper!)

Lovely tips on paper work- thanks! . We've got a constant problem. Its all over the house is small piles. I think do stage 1 and never get to the sitting down with cheque book/ biscuits stage.

Although- most stuff is done by Direct Debit so its just stuff that needs me to phone somone, send something back that gets lost.

Thanks for offer of help..... how far are you from surrey [win]

PS whurly gig is a washing line, the kind that is round and spins.

that should have been and Whirlygig.

Whats the word Whurly FFS!!!

mines an industrial strength one that has a big winchy bit that you can raise and lower it

wow- its not one of those ones that pulls out from the wall is it?

really want one of those

Oh I have one of those in the garden! I just call it the washing line because I grew up with mum using a bit of rope tied between 2 trees, and don't know what else to call the contraption that DH insisted we have. It doesn't raise and lower though: I bow in honour of the magnificent engineering of your whirlygig, Trinity.

What will we do when cheque books vanish? Tea and a cheque book is a ceremony, tea and a laptop to do computer banking is a recipe for disaster. All the baby clothes on the line will be lovely.

Hey Trinity, thanks for starting this thread.
Everytime I read the posts on here I feel motivated to go and actually do something!

Tonights task is to tackle the dishes piled up next to the sink.
Been at work all day so if that gets done and we get something to eat that'll do for me!

Having a cheap plastic laundry basket (got mine a while ago for £1 each) for each bedroom which has a wardrobe can be helpful, and saves you carrying clean washing around the house. I keep three in the back room next to the garden where the laundry dries, put dried items in the correct person's basket and then when I can, I carry just one up, for example ds's, and unload it all at once rather than have to re-sort it all upstairs running between rooms depending on whose item I'm on. Hope that makes sense!

Ooh, I like the Woman's Hour idea - do you really get everything done in an hour? I suppose if you do an hour a day the eventually you get on top of it and after that it's just maintenance...

Hi Trin, we haven't spoken before but I've followed you for a while (in a nice non-stalkerish way.)

I can be a terrible slattern and I really have NO excuses, so if you are trying hard then so will I.

I think the worst things to get on top of you if you are not very careful are laundry, kitchen mess and paperwork.

So: Try every day to do one load of laundry. I've learnt that if I am very disciplined about drying and folding each load promptly, it becomes much less creased and therefore less likely to need ironing, which takes care of another awful job.

Don't leave your big kitchen clear-up to the very end of the day, or you'll get tired and won't do it. But make sure you do at least ONE good kitchen clear-up a day, pref. early evening.

Paperwork. Even if you don't action it immediately TRY to makes sure you put everything that you KNOW needs your attention in one neat pile, somewhere where things won't get lost, or forgotten. That way it's less stressful when you are prodded to deal with it but can't even find it!

For yourself I think it's really important that you get washed and dressed and brush your hair, and go outdoors for a little while each day, even if it's just to buy a paper, walk for 15 minutes in the park, anything, and TALK to people, anyone, smile and say good morning to strangers, don't avoid eye contact with people you know, because you feel too wretched. (Don't know if you do this, but I'm guessing - from experience when I was a bit depressed I would avoid having to chat to even my good friends.)

Good luck.

Have just found this thread and would like to say thanks.

Just read six pages then jumped up and

Cleaned (thoroughly) downstairs loo, even the inside of window.
Using babywipe cleaned all lightswitches, this had been on a to do list for months.
Put todays washing in machine, had caught up but I am going to do small load everyday that way it's not everywhere if has to be dried in the house and only small amount to iron(I iron everything).

Now it is after 10pm but DH out at FIL overnight watching football and DD in bed so about to tackle kitchen before bed. Washing floor now means no one will walk on it until completely dry.

Also written a list for tomorrow. I am 32wks pregnant and certain things are begining to annoy me now eg state of bookcase, weeds on driveway and upstairs windows needing cleaned.

I am soooo inspired to get on and get things done before new baby arrives.

woohooo feeling inspired