My home is a mess

Emm-in-a-pickle

Hi Messies. Got time to catch up at last....`muscuvado gammon joint` (YS Mr S) in oven, last night`s leeky mash (made tons to do 2 days) & runner beans/toms/garlic ready to go on hob, bit of olive oil in it - yum...

Faith - your late hours sound horrible. And I thought my days were long! Hope your manager is sympathetic. ((HUGS)).
Sonastin - My OH is great about putting things back/finding them, but DS MORE than makes up for that, and trashes the place looking in wrong places for items he `put away`.
Alec E - re torches - I have 2 good `wind-up` ones. One lives on the little windowsill by the back door (Ideal spot as used outside after dark, then plonked back there on return indoors) The other is in a Secret Place (kitchen shelf behind stuff the menfolk don`t touch) nearly as handy but not in view, for when DS doesn`t return torch #1. I did buy DS a winy torch of his own but he lost that!

LLeuci- First, welcome to you!. There`s already been lots of good advice re your neighbour, and it`s great that you want to help. What bothers me is that she has a "carer" who has evidently not cared! This is by `private arrangement` but that means the old lady is paying for something she isn`t getting, and that situation does need sorting out, every bit as much as the state her home is in, and I reckon your neighbour needs your help to tackle the carer situation or she`d not have let it go on this far. Be brave, and don`t think `scarey carer`. Good luck, and do please keep us posted.
41 &IKI - you have a slob too? Mine is DS, OH isn`t too bad but it`s still all left to me. Very wearing at times, I know how you feel!
Grousescot - Well done, sounds like you`ve done wonders there. I think I`m `keeping on top of things` if I can still see the sofa a week after I`ve cleared it!
JPS - Thanks for the crickets update, I was wondering about them. Maybe their chirruping is related to daylight or light intensity, as well as the other factors. I`ve no idea, it`s just a thought. Our Teggies are doing very well. The other day DGD pointed out 4 in one corner of LR ceiling, and said "there`s another 2 in Dad`s room, they must`ve thought the meeting was in there".
I use baby wipes on Daftie-dog sometimes too.
BB - have a nice week with your folks, but don`t be too tempted to bring loads of the loft stuff home with you!
DC, I`ve had umpteeen vacuum cleaners over the years, different types. I`d NEVER have anything but a Henry now.
Isis - we saved the new Downton for a treat (iplayer). Brilliant.
Gillybean, `haven`t done much` indeed! You`ve got your hands full and sounds like you`re doing just fine!
Bearcub - missed you! I`m glad Star is holding her own.

Car boot this morning was worth going. Got a nice cord jacket, bumped into a couple of old mates I`d not seen for ages, didn`t stay too long or buy any junk!
Chimney sweep booked for tomorrow afternoon, so a `stay-home` day indicated. I got loads of washing done last week, some `tetris` & proper putting away might be a good idea. Going to watch Parade`s End now on I-player.
Have a nice evening all xx

alec_eiffel

I love my Henry too. I'd used them at all the hotels I'd worked at so knew they were really good, easy to cart around and they just work! The motor burned out on ours last year but luckily we have a repair shop nearby so he came back like new!

When I've warmed up I'm going to get on with painting the bathroom floor and painting the last bit of woodwork in the loo. That will probably be about it for today.

Not that this is to do with being tidy but I'm looking for one of those old fashioned stone/earthenware hot water bottles. I want something to keep the rabbits warm but we don't have a microwave for a heatpack. I've never been on ebay but I guess that's going to be my best shot, all our charity shops have been fancied up and don't sell much old stuff!

Have a good day everyone.

Emm-in-a-pickle

Alec E - re keeping pets warm. 30 years ago, before central heating, before the old warped metal window frames were replaced & well before double glazing this house got VERY cold when the fire died down at night. DS had a hamster that lived in one of those round cage systems, (he bought the extra `rooms` with his pocket money) but the poor thing nearly hibernated a few times...Then I dropped my old slow cooker, the lid broke and the bowl rim was chipped. I put the base under the round sleeping compartment, a couple of thin bit of wood to separate the ceramic SC from the plastic base - result! Under-floor central heating for hamster`s bedroom!!
Not suitable for a rabbit hutch, perhaps, but you could use a couple of ordinary house-bricks, or a large flat stone, as long as they aren`t too hot. Once warmed though they`d retain the heat if they`re covered with hay.

alec_eiffel

Hmmm, I guess if I heated a stone or a ceramic tile maybe I could wrap it in a towel... The floor of their pen in lino and carpet so I wouldn't want a hot thing to mark it. A pizza stone could work couldn't it..? Cheers Emm.

gilly1964

Hi All

Today is the first time I have woken up and not felt the need to go straight for painkillers - I must have turned a corner :j

The plan for today is to work on one of the hotspots which has been bugging me for the last few [STRIKE]weeks[/STRIKE] months - the chest of drawers on the landing.

OH keeps his tee shirts there but never puts them away - he just dumps them on top. :mad:

Then dinner tonight is fajitas which I will prepare for OH to cook, with a side order of home made wedges for DS.

Have a good day all, stay safe and warm

Taliahmai

Hey everyone

Hope you dont mind me joinin in, i keep coming back every now and then and reading through here but never felt the need to join in....but im now at the point where if i dont do something, im going to go insane!

My house is a complete mess and i just don't know where to start to get it in any type of order!. I've lived here for 5 years now and never felt i could class it as a home, its always just been a house (if you understand what i mean) but i want that to change, i want to get it all decorated and done nice but my biggest problem....is me! im lazy

I've been ill the last couple of weeks so the house has got worse then it ever has been and im at the stage where i wont even let anyone come round, even the kids mates, cause im just too embarrassed!! I even ended a relationship cause i didnt want him seeing the state of my house! The thing is i know its not in such a state that it would take weeks to clean (its more untidy then dirty) but my kids dont help at all so ive got into the mindset of, whats the point when it will be a mess within 10 mins of tidying. But i need to change...i just don't know where to start!

In my living room there should be 5 seats....you can actually only sit in 1 of them, just, which means we cant sit as a family and watch tv, or just chill...my dining room table has just enough space on it to squeeze 2 plates on the edge....so my son sits at the computer table and i sit in the living room.....my kitchen you cant see for clothes, both clean that ive just took out the dryer and left and dirty that are quing to get into the machine!, the bedrooms are just as bad, there is a path to get into bed and to the window and thats it, the bathrooms are the tidiest rooms in the house, but even they are full of empty bottles etc. its just really starting to get me down but i cant bring myself to start as when i do you just cant tell once the kids are home. They need retraining so to speak, but its an impossibe task as they have just never been made to pick up after themselves.....and the only person to blame for all this is myself, but im struggling to change!

I'm sorry my first post is such a long one! im looking on here and making a list of all the things i need to do....i just hope i can get the motivation to do it! Sorry for the moan x

alec_eiffel

Calm down, deep breath everything will be fine!

I don't have children (which is obviously shorthand for ignore the next thing I'm going to say) but it sounds like you have to get the children involved - especially if they want to have their friends round to play. I'm sure someone here will have the tricks - using a timer, making it into a game type of a thing.

In terms of everything else, it's a cycle, if you don't want to do it because it'll be a mess in 10 minutes no-one else will do anything because no-one else does anything!

My biggest problem was laundry. You say there's stuff everywhere, is there still a load of stuff in the wardrobe? If there is then that's the stuff that needs to go. Usually the stuff that's all over the place is the stuff you use and the stuff in the cupboards is everything else.

My way of dealing with laundry has been to see the whole process - I don't put another load on unless there's space on the airer to get it dried. If there's no room on the airer I put the dry stuff away, that frees up the airer which means I'm free to wash. I know that's obvious but it wasn't to me! But it really works, keeping the next step in the process clear means you can get on with what you need to do.

The bathrooms sound easy, if they're kept clean you need to go up, or send one of the children and collect up all the empties and put them into the recycling. That's one room finished!

What's the stuff on all the chairs? Rubbish/recycling, dishes, clothes, stuff that needs putting away?

Taliahmai

Thank you! your right the kids do need to be helping me, but im such a walkover its unreal. ive never made them help (there 10,5 and 2) so then when i do ask they refuse....well maybe not refuse but get all the attitude cause they dont want to do it, then it turns into an argument and i end up telling them to clear off and let me get on with it....then it doesnt get done I'm going to have to sit them down tonight and talk with them i think, ask them to help out more and explain why.

I have to admit my biggest bug bare is the laundry, i have clothes all over, the landing you cant move for dirty washing (the basket is full ) but its my kitchen thats the worst. I do have a dryer, but its rubbish and takes all day to dry 1 load and my radiators are next to useless, cant even fit a full load onto them. I need to buy an airer or two! I have about 10 loads of washing to do (the joys of kids lol) but no way of getting it all dry. but then when it is dry i just pull it out the dryer to put the next load in, so the clean clothes are on the floor and on my welsh dresser, instead of me folding them straight up. I think im going to have to admit to my mum im stuck in a rut cause i know she will take it to hers and help me out with it. My wardrobes etc im ashamed to say are empty, there are some clothes in my girls drawers but i know she has ougrown them now. I will go up now and fill the charity bag that came this morning!! I have a spare 15 mins before school run.

The thing that puts me off with the clothes is spiders...i know i know lol. but they are huge at the min and im scared stiff of them, ive got it in my head that if i move the clothes on the floor there will be spider in them, and the thought of that scares the life outta me!

Taliahmai

The chairs etc, is just basic clutter, kids toys/books, clothes, magazines, coats and school bags that get chucked when they come in etc. and some pots from lunch at the min too

Nothing that wouldnt take too long to put away....im just really good at making excuses not to do something....

tattycath

I'm the same-my kids don't often want to help-one of them will help more often but then moans that she's the only one who ever does anything coz none of the others will.
Our lounge is a bomb site. The kitchen needs sorting desperately. The bedrooms are disaster zones and the loft is a mess too. The bathroom is not too bad but the bedding/towel cupboards desperately need sorting...again.
I tend to procrastinate too and can think of loads of excuses not to do stuff. I have been good this month though-but the house is still a mess!
I'm going to tackle my bedroom and try to lead by example If I'm not back by 6 send out a search party please coz I'll be lost amongst lots of clothes and 'stuff'.