My home is a mess

bedshaped

I started to read this thread yesterday as I sat here on the pc [STRIKE]thinking about getting started on the housework[/STRIKE] procrastinating.

We have just decorated three rooms downstairs this week and I just didn't know where to start - every room needs a blinkin good scrub!

The thought of even starting and how much there is to do was just (still is) overwhelming. I have cleared the clutter out to decorate and don't want it back - the problem is its all in the spare room, which now looks like a charity shop and once I've finished down here, I have to start up there :eek:.

Sooo.... baby steps it is.

I have a week to get everything done before I'm back at work again and probably back to square one.. where I'm too shattered to do anything by the time I get home in the evening.

I just wanted to say thanks to you all for giving me some inspiration and motivation and for making me realise i'm not the only one who lives like this! x

laurel7172

Well...

My hands are blistered, my shoulder numb and every muscle in my body hurts.

But the tree stumps are out. :j

Naturally, the house has gone to hell in the 24 hours I've been distracted, and there's a column of ants from the front door to the dishwasher (empty marmalade jar )

But I booked the flights for our summer holiday for £21pp each way. We're going to the Rhine Valley-can't wait!

Yes, I know I'm lucky to get as much practical support as I do. My parents belong to that generation-neither has ever told me that they love me, but they're always there.

soupdragon10

Laurel - have you tried putting a line of cat flea powder on the thresholds to deter the ants? It's something I tried years ago which seemed to work for me. Possibly a thin line of biological washing powder/liquid. Anything that will interfere with their scent marking really.

Well on the good side the laundry is largely done and sorted, only the dog bed to wash and dry tomorrow and the ironing is very slowly (3 items at a time) being done.

Garden is slowly getting into shape, my back is aching but I can slowly see it coming together.

Feels so good to chat to people who live in similar chaos and disorder as all my family and possed of the good housekeeping gene.

Purpleclutterbuck

Spent today in the garden slowly helping OH build a fence round the lawn to stop the dog and "the gals"(chickens!) from digging up the only bit of greenery - It looks very nice but the house OMG!!!
All sorts of stuff has crept in to my decluttered zones methinks that the evil clutter demons :eek: are at work but I'm not going to worry cos I've got a secret weapon - its called "baby steps pottering" and we all know that pottering through the day keeps the messies at bay!
One load of washing a day has reduced the amount of mucky clothes from THIS to this and I leave a folded clean pile of clothes at the bottom of the stairs so anyone going upstairs now hears a silky voice saying "as your on your way up could you just ....." what a creep but I don't care:p
OH is going to try and borrow the shredder from work so that we can start using the mega paper mountain to make paper bricks for winter fuel and nesting stuff for the chooks
I've taken pictures of the worse bits as a reminder for when things improve -a bit of strange logic but the pics make even the smallest improvement look bl%%dy marvellous!:rotfl:
My outlaws dropped in unannounced on saturday and father outlaw said some hurtful comments about the mess - I was fuming:mad: and I felt so yukky _pale_that I had to make myself calm down - I thought about you lot- it just wasn't worth the pain and stress so thankyou peeps for helping me get over it quickly

snookey

Cheeky outlaw !.

Had a nice day with my outlaws even got a choccy egg:D.

Iv done the washing got son to take it upstairs ready to put it away. Have sorted it into binbags as son has my laundery baskets with his clothes in. Lazy little git.
Iv done a work chart for Monday and given everyone jobs. See how it goes. Of course Iv still got more than anyone else. It includes the crazy parakeet who nobody will clean out as he bites.

Iv bought a book on clutter busting. Iv got a couple of others. I read whilst sitting in the clutter,lol.:rotfl:Anyway Im a accumalater. I buy stuff just because its cheap, not because I need it. I also dont throw it out incase I need it. All true.
Ill let you all know of any good hints.

It is great to be in the messy club.

laurel7172

I put down some Johnson's baby powder for the ants.

I tried that when I had babies, and was more than usually sensitive about chemicals on the floor.

It does seem to put them off. But probably not as much as closing the dishwasher and running it!

Buddingblonde

Purple - that is my idea of hell - people just dropping in unannounced. If someone did that to me today they wouldnt have anywhere to sit as every surface on the couch is covered with clothes.

Well done to those who have been gardening - that is far too organised for me (and I only have a few pots by the door that need sorting out!). At least it has been good weather for gardening.

I have been trying to get OH to sort out his clothing - he has stuff that he hasnt worn for years and no longer fits but I darent touch (you know what people can be like sometimes about their stuff). The problem is that the wardrobe is still full to bursting and there is no room for all the washings I have done over the past few days.

I seem to have lost momentum at the moment although at least most of the cupboards in the kitchen are done as well as the freezer and the fridge. I have thrown out soooo much out of date food - I would think I have thrown away about £40 of stuff!!! And I am not going by the use by dates here - this is stuff that had back freezer burn and needed thrown out, mouldy food in the fridge and stuff from the cupboards that were out of date (some fruit in juice (big plastic jars) that went out of date 2 years ago and the juice was turning very very cloudy!)

I dont think I will be doing much this week as I have interviews in a couple of weeks time (I am losing my job at work but there is a couple of alternative posts I can apply for - wish me luck). I will still be trying to keep on top of the tide rooms I have and see where I go from here.

jackieglasgow

Good luck with the interview prep Buddingblonde, but there are a few bank holidays still to go, lets get back into it, so that we can have space in our homes to relax in - you will definitely need that to prepare for your interview! I am going up to do some clearing in my bedroom as I have been a lazy sod these last coupld of days

Purpleclutterbuck

"Anyway Im a accumalater. I buy stuff just because its cheap, not because I need it. I also dont throw it out incase I need it."
:eek::DI'm exactly the same snookey! And I love looking at the clutter books for all the storage ideas which work as long as your rich, very fit and have a cleaner :rotfl: and a massive house and...........yep you've just seen the GH messy club gene kicking in!

I developed the messy disease of "justincasaitus" and as for volunteering at my local charity shop well you can imagine the temptation! :idea: (and yes I do pay for stuff - after all it is a charity)
Today's mission (should I choose to accept it) is to clean/clear the fridge by one shelf each time the dishwasher goes on and vacuum the carpet a bit more often The dog has to learn not to attack the "wee beastie"as she sees it so rarely
Sorry the posts are quite long - I'm just putting off the moment when I turn the corner into my little kitchen and have to face the inevitable - no.... not the mess but the choccy Easter egg and creme eggs:EasterBun
Enjoy today, achieve what you can and

Ellie83

Purpleclutterbuck wrote: »

My outlaws dropped in unannounced on saturday and father outlaw said some hurtful comments about the mess - I was fuming:mad: and I felt so yukky _pale_that I had to make myself calm down - I thought about you lot- it just wasn't worth the pain and stress so thankyou peeps for helping me get over it quickly

How rude! He needs a good clean-up of his manners! Not even a clean-up, he needs a good scrubbing :mad: Who does he think he is. This is why I'm always nervous when my in-laws are coming to visit. They would never comment on anything, but sometimes I can see it on their face, the way they look around. And it doesn't help that their houses are immaculate (but oh so cold!) But then I tell myself that DH and I live our own life. They have theirs to take care of

Buddingblonde wrote: »

I have been trying to get OH to sort out his clothing - he has stuff that he hasnt worn for years and no longer fits but I darent touch (you know what people can be like sometimes about their stuff).

Do we follow the same plan? :rotfl: I made my husband de-clutter his side of the bed 2 days ago. He threw away half of what he found and the other half is in a box, ready to be sorted out further

I don't know what happened yesterday but....... I planted some flowers! :eek: I! On my own! I kid you not! First time in my life. OK? it was only two pots, but I'll be going back for more. They look like daffodils but smaller. They look great in the garden

Another car load to the tip yesterday, and the car is now full, ready for another one (again, old card board ).

I de-cluttered the garage further and, by the end of the day, I wasn't even bothered by the spiders anymore. :cool: But only because they were very tiny. If it had been spiders like the ones that can be found at my parents', I wouldn't be here to tell the tale

Today, I'm setting up the new wooden boxes we bought in asda. They are big cubes, of 50x50cm, made of plain wood. They will look great at the end of the bed and will be brilliant for storage. But first, we have to get rid of the sofa that's in the bedroom No charity wants it because it has a (small, I promise!) stain on one cushion I can understand of course, but I feel bad that I will have to throw away a perfectly good sofa

Have a good day, my de-cluttering sisters