TIDY YOUR HOUSE!!!!!

[StarlightMcKenzie]

My house is a tip. Looking for someone organised/shouty to get me moving.....

Run out of washing powder, have a pile of washing. Run out of food. None of us dressed. Need to go to shop. DD will whinge endlessly at the walk to the supermarket. In any case, haven't any clean clothes to wear no said walk........

Can't see the floor. Kids just drawn all over themselves. Kitchen vaguely okay but kids have been 'cooking' so a few raw eggs scattered about.....

So, what first?

Sorry, won't be me. I just wanted to shout back "NO!" to the title
Surely spending time relaxing and enjoying the kids is far more important.
You also shouldn't be hard on yourself - you need to sit back and take stock at what you've achieved - not get out the hoover!

Make a list.

Include breaks, mnetting time, play time, snacks it's more things to cross off

Start with the thing that's driving you the most demented. If it's tidying I start with one corner and work around the room. Your house sounds fun btw.

NOW GET TO IT!!!

Start with one load of washing containing clothes you need now. Just put on a quick wash.
Then get on pc and have shopping delivered for tomorrow.
Then gt dressed go to local for few bits (give dd a visual list if possible) and then spend afternoon relaxing in the garden away from mess

LOL Lisad,

We're going away on Thurs so can't justify the delivery of groceries really (although perhaps I could get in bulky staples that will last!?)

Sitting in garden away from the mess sounds good.

Okay, tall, - will make a list.

Item 1: Sit in garden away from mess.........

have you unpacked everything yet? (serios question - you might have (like me) washing powder etc lurking in boxes)

set a timer; get a black bag. decide on a room, and whether you are gathering rubbish, or collecting washing, or what. you have 20 minutes - GO!

when the timer goes off, reset it for 10 minutes - this your coffee/MN time.

then start again.

it is surprising what can be done in short bursts with built in reinforcement

Right, - washing machine on.

Grrrrr, - dc's have just made a 'line' from the window in their bedroom, down the stairs, across the hall, through the living room, of all their toys..............

Baby now crying for a feed!

yeah, - good idea silver. Is feeding the baby to be done in the 20mins 'work' or the 10 mins 'sit down'?

got a sling?

both

Baby quietened down as dc's are pretending to 'operate' on him and so are poking him about but he seems to be cooperating, - so , - off I go, - round one!!!

Bin bags.......one for your stuff........one for kids stuff...........one for..........crap!

Make it a game with the dcs stick a cup of jelly tots or buttons at the top of the stairs and for every 4 things put in sack they can run up and take a sweet and come back down. (might wear them out too!)

Throw kids in bath with bubbles and clean up the bathroom whilst they are in the bath.

Feeding baby? if the kids like cleaning with you give them a bag baby wipes each and say they earn 20p each holiday spending money for everything they polish for mummy :)

In other words slave labour but fun!

All you got then is a tidy house with one bag to chuck and the other two to sit in kids room to pack away with a coffee or your stuff later oerhaps when they are eating tea.

THEN can you pop down with them and do mine?

Oooh, love the bin bag idea.

I especially like the idea that if I haven't unpacked it within a week, it can probably join the rubbish!

I've just cleaned my tiny bathroom. I always feel virtuous after that!

as for the rest of the house

kitchen timer

15 - 20 mins per room, armed with a bin bag for the worst of it to clear floors, put dirty plates in sink, toys in box, laundry in wash basket.

pop on kettle

Wash up

Switch on washing machine

Go to Mc Donalds, (pop in corner shop on way back for bread, milk & baked beans + a few apples).

Come home

hang out laundry

pop on kettle

can you guess what's for tea

My parents used to chuck everything into middle of room and say if it wasn't all put away in right place, anything left would go in bin

LOL - Thanks all. Cleaning all day and house now resembles a house that was probably clean this morning but has had 3 active children in it. What I mean is, it is passable if we had an unexpected visit..

Kitchen clean of raw egg, but still has neatly stacked dirty plates. Living room free of tripping hazzards although baby toys piled on baby mat. Table clear enough to eat off. 2 lots of washing on line. Bathroom 'touched up' although not thoroughly cleaned except toilet. All shoes in hallway in their 'tubs'. Most dry washing in owners piles stacked on stairs. Readymade M&S fish pie about to come out of the oven that was brought home by dh. Wine in hand.

Perhaps tomorrow I'll look under the sofas and hoover. That is if the house hasn't reverted back to how it was by the time breakfast is finished.

Excellent. That's a lot of crossings off on your list. I hope 'put feet up and ' was the last item

My priorities tend to be keep the washer fed and keep the kitchen clean enough to decrease the likelihood of tummy bugs adding to the laundry pile (not been very successful at that, lately). If you can, start getting basics like laundry detergent, wine and chocolate delivered.

I have been promising myself a dishwasher for ages now but whenever I think I might have enough money something else crops up.

I think it would be lifechanging! I'm allergic to latex so I have to wash up with bare hands and I hate it.

This thread has inspired me though so I'm off to the £shop to get some supplies and am going to have a cleaning splurge while the mood takes me!