My home is a mess

mcculloch29

Emm, I'm glad you enjoyed Christy's Easter Snow, even if the real snow is less appealing! I was in the front row of a Christy Moore concert some years ago, I got to shake his hand and say "thank you" to him. He's a truly lovely man.

angelpye

Hi, is there anyone that you know who can sell the stuff for you and you agree a commission? I realise you wouldn't make as much money but more than if you give away? Also on a good day could you list and wrap a handful of items then ask your hubby to post if a good day doesn't come - if you put it will take 7 days handling due to health most people should understand. Hth.

angelpye

Just breezed through downstairs with radio on so now shower and date with the bathroom! Just keep swimming...

mishmash

Cleaned my kitchen table and chairs last night' the legs and backs! Well quite frankly the filth that came off them should have me ashamed of myself (but i am not )
Having a bit of a batch cooking day today, so will not be doing much 'deep' cleaning, maybe just a little wipe and tidy round.

sonastin

Hi rainydb...

Step 1 - if you meet someone you could become friends with, invite them in for a cuppa. If they recoil in horror at the state of your home, well you were never destined to be best buds anyway. They go back to being a stranger anyway so no different to not trying. But they could actually be just like you and glad to have the company of someone who they can invite round without tidying up. You've nothing to lose but a lot to gain!

Step 2 - when you feel like posting something on e-bay, package it up at the same time as listing it. That way you only need to stick an address on it and arrange postage at the end of the listing. You might have the energy, hubby might be able to spare the time or you might find a friend/neighbour who can drop it at the post office for you. Worst case you can phone one of those courier companies who collect - might not make all the money you were hoping for but chances are you can get it posted before then.

Step 3 - you don't need to lavish your kids with stuff, enjoy spending the time with them that you can. Kids are remarkably adaptable and super-mum doesn't have to be hyper-energetic or take them places or buy them stuff. If the stuff is stressing you out, that's going to be more detrimental to your relationship than any amount of not giving them things.

Step 4 - stop beating yourself up. As you can see, we're all messies here. Some have good reason, others (i.e. me!) are just plain lazy. At the end of the day, I've realised I'm happier with a messy house and time to do other stuff than I am wasting time cleaning. We all get to choose what we do with the time we have available. Embrace the choice you make (e.g. playing with the kids when you've got the energy) and accept the consequences that are a result of that (i.e. time spent tidying up is time not spent playing with the kids so the mess will have to wait until the kids aren't kids anymore!)

Step 5 - have you talked to your hubby about it? Perhaps there's one or two little things he could do to help which would take a load off your mind. Might not take a lot of adjustment from him to help you keep a corner clear once you've cleared it but he needs to know that's what you're trying to achieve before he'll realise he needs to do anything at all.

Our usual mantra here is "babysteps" but I'm aware that some of these are pretty huge steps to take. Probably best to figure out the babysteps that get you there rather than trying to eat the whole elephant in one go!

Emm-in-a-pickle

Afternoon Messies.
Mishmash - welcome, and well done! That`s an impressive lot of de-messying in such a short time. As Bennifred said, a lie-down is called for after just reading it! I`ve had the occasional `blitz` here but 2 days max then I run out of steam(or time. Or both!)

Mcculloch - we really like traditional Irish music. I just `like what I like`, but OH is the musical one who recognises a particular reel or whatever, and remembers names of the greats. He rates Christy Moore highly too.

Rainydb - Welcome, and well done making a start and a plan to do next. I`d like to second what Sonastin said too - that was a great post on all points. I`m sure you`re a great mum, too, and you shouldn`t do guilt trips because other mums aren`t perfect either (that`s just the `super-mum` myth that adverts would have us believe! We`re all different somehow.)
I can sympathise with the small kitchen/10 years worth of Persil etc., and the `tetris` thing of stuff getting moved about too.
Talk to your OH, he sounds great, and I`m sure if he knows how you feel he`ll help when he can. I`ve recently had to do a lot more delegating/asking for help from my OH and my DS, as I can`t do my usual stuff now and for a few weeks after my op next month. To be fair, they have both really been great and now they realise, and I do, that One Person can`t do it all!

Emm-in-a-pickle

Messy Status Report.
Still huge mounds of snow here, but roads pretty clear - they`ve chucked it all on the pavements! No sign of bin collection yet even though they could get through since yesterday. Not holding my breath on that one.
DGD is now in residence as her mum is no longer snowed in and was able to bring her yesterday, so today I had to go out for more milk and bread etc., my first time past our gate since Friday!! Co-op (nearest supermarket)car park was scarey, but otherwise it was nice to actually go somewhere.
Kitchen - floor is messy where folks come in the back door, but otherwise not too bad. Sink. hob & tops clear. (WOW!?)
LR - was a bit cluttered with DGD`s stuff but she`s tidied it, needs a bit of Henrying (DGD has volunteered for tomorrow) and windowsill is full of cat paw-prints. That`s what you get for keeping it clutter-free!
Laundry - all up-to-date, due to not going anywhere plus having heating on & hanging stuff upstairs to dry.
Could do with a bit of de-cluttering upstairs, but at least it`s not getting any worse, and I`m conserving bin-space so leave it for now...excuses, moi?

bearcub

Afternoon Messies, and welcome all newbies. I could take it personally, you know so many people turning up when I've gone AWOL! No, really, welcome. We'll encourage, give advice if asked, and definitely NOT judge!

Rainydb, I think at least 70% of those who come on here have had varying levels of depression, either that they think has caused the messiness, or as a result of it. :rotfl: Don't get yourself in more of a state, mentally, over it, please.

Mishmash, your list of jobs done is truly amazing, and exhausting, so well done! :T Wanna come and do mine?

Good advice from sonastin about the size of your particular baby steps!

Emms, I'm glad you at least got the roads clear - not personally, obviously, because that would be taking de-messying to the extreme! I do wonder how FW is getting on, particularly after watching the news last night, and farmers trying to find and dig out their animals.

Generally not too bad here, messywise, but I've left the kitchen for a while, and couldn't believe how dirty it was. I vacuumed yesterday, opened the oven door to check for any bits under it, and caught sight of the tray in the bottom of the oven. :eek: It took THREE soaks in very hot soapy water to get it anywhere near clean. Food Hygiene people would have a fit! I washed the floor, and today have cleaned the draining board. Note, not the sink, which is relatively clean - but, as they say, all things are relative. I'm gradually catching up with the washing again, and even managed to get out and fork over a couple of borders again, despite it being bitterly cold, and the soil being pretty wet. We've had no snow here, although there may have been some flakes fall on the other side of the island, because DD1 had some in Portsmouth.

mishmash

A cooking day yesterday so only did a bit of washing and the normal tidy round.
Today I have cleaned 2 bathrooms, they just won't stay clean though! The kitchen is next on my list, noticed that the insides of the cupboards would not get past a public health inspection.. That's if I can get off here!

Emm-in-a-pickle

Hi Messies.
Bearcub, we missed you! Well done on the oven cleaning. Mine hasn`t been done for ages, but it`s reached a sort of equilibrium of it`s own, and who am I to interfere? No gardening in these parts, even for the keen folk! The pavements are still under mounds of snow, and they`d have a job to even find the borders in their gardens. It must be awful for those with livestock though, as well as the farmers. Our newer neighbours were thinking of keeping some chickens, and they`d have had to really dig their way to them as the gardens are still so deep in the nasty white stuff, it`s bad enough just trying to get to the birdfeeders but OH is treating that as no.1 priority job. I do hope FW & Mr Farmer aren`t having too much difficulty where they are.

Mishmash, having a cooking day as a break from the cleaning binge is a great idea. I do envy your stamina right now!!

No de-messying here, but did a bit more `siege` shopping for when I can`t drive. (I think we must now have enough catfood pouches to start a cattery, thought we already had enough but Greedy-puss seems to want feeding more when it`s snowy - and DGD responds to the first miaow!) Spare room of Doom now looks like we`re going to open a shop!!
I`m starting to get a bit twitchy now - op is a week tomorrow, but I really want to get it over with - and I`ve unpacked and re-packed. Written lists for the Menfolk and washed Daftie-dog`d beds again, and that`s about it. Leeky mash & braising steak for tonight, but using frozen mash. Ha!
Keep warm all! x