Keeping house like my mum

msgnomey

billy858 I wish I could be more like you LOL

LittleMissAspie

I wouldn't want to keep house like my mum - my parents' house has always been really cluttered. My dad's fault really, it annoys my mum but he's a real hoarder. "It'll come in handy someday", he even keeps old margarine tubs and things like that. We had a 4 seater dining table with only one seat available for use, the rest of the table and chairs were covered in my dad's cr4p.

So I've turned out to be a neat freak in rebellion. I hate clutter, I hate belongings that I don't actually need. I'd live like a monk if I could, just a bed and a table. I actually get irritable and depressed if I feel like a room is too cluttered, I can't think straight.

downshifter

My main problem is my complete inability to make a decision. I might think - where will something best be kept, for example a pair of kitchen scissors. Yes I'll put them in this drawer as that's nearest to the cooking area where I'm most likely to use them. Then I think, but actually they might be better in this drawer, and then I find another pair of kitchen scissors and think, now I'll keep the sharpest most useful pair in this top drawer and the less useful ones in this lower drawer for things like flower stems etc. Then I decide that flower stems probably counts more as garden stuff so I take them out to the shed. Then I remember I hate going into the shed cos mice live there, so I carry them back into the kitchen....hohum, and so it goes on!! Paperwork equally - I might decide to keep all utility bills in one file, then at the end of the year put them in a box file thus freeing up the utility file for the next year. But then I'll decide it's more useful to keep them in an outgoings file, rather than just utilities so it's all change again, and then what do I do with things that go on from year to year so in the end I might have a system but it's a crap one, and I can never find things I need.

Please say this lack of decisiveness isn't just me..............and how do I get over it?

I always used to be queen of the bin bags, I could always get rid of things, but in recent years I've got rid of so many things I've since regretted, that I'm really loath to throw/recycle anything much any more. And LittleMissAspie, I'm with your dad on the marg tubs, where else do you put your blackcurrants for freezing, decant a tin of tomatoes, take your butties to work, keep odd screws and curtain hooks, god I could go on!!

DS

miserly_mum

My Mum's house was very very tidy but not very clean. Her idea of hygiene and mine were very different. She used one cloth to clean just about everything but thats another story :rotfl:

On the neat and tidy issue. She was obsessive about not having anything out making the house look messy. This included my toys, my friends,visitors and to be honest my Dad. She was constantly lifting bits of imaginary fluff from the carpet and if she left a room and we moved say an ornament 3 mm to the left she'd notice it as soon as she came through the door

We were scared to put our knife and fork down between mouthfuls as she had the plate scraped washed and put away before we could lift them up again.

When I was little and playing with my toys if I went upstairs for a pee they'd all be tidied away by the time I came down again

Looking back i'm convinced she had mild OCD but whatever the reason she was constantly tidying and could never relax. We had very few visitors and she didn't encourage friends coming over.

It was not a nice way to live and it's not how I keep my house. Actually i've went too far the other way and only do what is strictly necessary in the way of housework. Although i'm very untidy I like my house to be clean and I have several cloths for cleaning :T

tori.k

downshifter wrote: »

My main problem is my complete inability to make a decision. I might think - where will something best be kept, for example a pair of kitchen scissors. Yes I'll put them in this drawer as that's nearest to the cooking area where I'm most likely to use them. Then I think, but actually they might be better in this drawer, and then I find another pair of kitchen scissors and think, now I'll keep the sharpest most useful pair in this top drawer and the less useful ones in this lower drawer for things like flower stems etc. Then I decide that flower stems probably counts more as garden stuff so I take them out to the shed. Then I remember I hate going into the shed cos mice live there, so I carry them back into the kitchen....hohum, and so it goes on!! Paperwork equally - I might decide to keep all utility bills in one file, then at the end of the year put them in a box file thus freeing up the utility file for the next year. But then I'll decide it's more useful to keep them in an outgoings file, rather than just utilities so it's all change again, and then what do I do with things that go on from year to year so in the end I might have a system but it's a crap one, and I can never find things I need.

Please say this lack of decisiveness isn't just me..............and how do I get over it?

I always used to be queen of the bin bags, I could always get rid of things, but in recent years I've got rid of so many things I've since regretted, that I'm really loath to throw/recycle anything much any more. And LittleMissAspie, I'm with your dad on the marg tubs, where else do you put your blackcurrants for freezing, decant a tin of tomatoes, take your butties to work, keep odd screws and curtain hooks, god I could go on!!

DS

Do the life laundry thing box it, date it and if you havent delved into the box in a year bung it

miserly_mum

tori.k wrote: »

Do the life laundry thing box it, date it and if you havent delved into the box in a year bung it

I loved the Life Laundry

I bought both of Dawna Walters books and i'm still a slob :rotfl:

WASHER

LameWolf wrote: »

I can only speak for myself here, obviously, but my situation is that the files are difficult for me to get to. I am disabled, and have difficulty lifting a full A4 box; also, the room where they're kept also houses the following:
a) crate of Dungeons & Dragons figures for painting plus acrylic paints and other accoutrements for this task.
b) two crates full of jars of HM jam.
c) crate of various coloured wax for making candles.
d) large carrier bag containing spare bags of flour, sugar etc that won't fit in kitchen cupboards.
e) paper carrier full of harvested lavender for making lavender bags.
f) box of turfed-out stuff awaiting transport to charity shop.
g) 11 bottles of HM elderflower wine

All of the above are on the floor, making access to the files even more impossible.

Now I am NOT for an instant saying that this is a GOOD excuse. It isn't.

*SIGH* I need one of these:
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/round_tuit :rotfl:

My goodness, I hope you didn't think I was being rude, that wasn't my intention to anyone on this board. Have you considered a metal filing cabinet if you have the room so you don't have to lift an A4 box file, I have a wooden one which my OH says is pretty useless in the case of fire as all the important documents would be destroyed, but its great no bending, I even got my mother in law one as she finds it difficult to bend. I think you can find these things on freecycle - just a thought, I too have a disability and I find life a wee bit frustrating sometimes, my friend recommended something to me a few years ago as I couldn't hear the phone ringing (complete deafness in one ear and only partial hearing in the other) and it makes life a little easier, although I wouldn't really class mine as a disability, it can have its advantages when the OH says something I don't want to listen too, I simply turn to the poor side and constantly ask him to repeat what he said, he generally gives up in the end:D


Alert - I have done 6 hours ironing today and its all done, my OH almost fell over when I told him. It actually wasn't that bad once I started it, I feel quite pleased with myself, I may treat myself to a large glass of Shiraz:D

Redlady.....

How long do most people keep utility bills and bank statements?

MrsMW

I recently sorted out our photographs and threw away loads. We decided we wouldn't like the offspring looking at some of our honeymoon pictures!! We were in our 50's when we got married and I can imagine the sniggers some of the pictures would have caused.

WASHER

Redlady..... wrote: »

How long do most people keep utility bills and bank statements?

I personally keep them for 12 months (hardcopy) and then I scan them onto a Pen drive (I don't know the technical term), I keep 2 years ulility bills and 6 years bank statements on the pen drive(just in case:D)

I do keep 6 years hardcopy of Inland Revenue documentation and 6 years salary slips (I don't know why, I think it was because my OH was previously Self Employed).

I have scanned all the important documentation, life insurance, mortgage insurance, home insurance incase of fire and I keep the pen drive in a metal box (an Old tobacco box) in my bedside table (don't tell the OH though, he thinks I have OCD as it is:D)