sorting all my problems for a new year start can it be done ?

Alwaysthebusybee

Hello,

Sorry I haven't had time to read the entire thread as I am due back at work soon but wanted to post (apologies if I cross over anyones suggestions!!)

This is my last working day as my 1st baby is due in January - I don't intend to return to full time work and I am hoping on finding a system that works well for me and my hubby.

At the moment we both clean although we quite easily let things slide into chaos and often just walking in from work stresses me out. My main problem isn't cleaning it is keeping it clean. I have already made an effort to start small and whilst there is a long way to go I can see the difference already!

Throughout 2012 my aims are to challenge myself to the grocery challenge (being organised and meal planning) - I too love my slow cooker, you can make anything in there from stews, casseroles, bolognese, chilli, roasts etc. I also have a list of cleaning jobs room by room and seperate these into 3 categories - a whizz round which isn't a lot to do but instantly makes the room look better (de-cluttering, polishing & hoovering), a decent clean and a thorough spring clean (like windows, curtains, light fittings etc). I got the idea off the fly lady / weekly cleaning thread - great to keep you motivated and they always give levels to achieve which keeps you going .... starting at the basics makes you feel as though you are achieving something rather than nothing.

I also have 2 wicker boxes, one at the bottom or the stairs and one at the top. Any items needing to go down stairs / up stairs are placed in the boxes and taken up last thing at night / first thing in the morning and sorted into the homes ... Having a home for everything is what I am currently working on and whilst there is a bit more to do I am 90% done :j My challenge is to have my homes for everything before the baby is born otherwise I will be in more chaos.

I also hate ironing but I have found that persisting with it 15 or 30 minutes a day and most of it is done and hung away .... I have also been advised that ironing as soon as it is dry helps as there is never a pile to worry about.

I also have the 2012 calendar printed off and attached to my fridge, I also have a meal planning / grocery book and a housecleaning book with all my jobs to do in there .... I set myself mini daily goals - 15 minute cleaning blasts etc, you soon notice the difference

I wish you well in 2012 and will follow the thread with interest as I love reading other peoples tips. I think one of the main things is not to take too much on otherwise you just don't bother ... I love crossing items off my to do list. It is a real sense of self satisfaction when everything comes off it ... Remember the work will never be done it just starts all over again on a less daunting scale x

SavingJane

Ok I'm back while I waited for LO to fall sleep *can't use shower while he's going to sleep as keeps him awake but once sleep for 30ish mins can be used lol)

I have done a food menu for the whole of Jan bar last 2 days which I will attach to feb

I have booked @sda for mon and done a SMALL shop, need nappies which we get there 2 packs for £10 BARGIN and brill, wish I had used them from the start

I shall go out once LO wakes for milk and fruit and chinese for me and OH 2mora. Our chinese from iceland is our weekly cheat take away, £5 for the both of us to eat and it's so yummy and in my view better then the chinese take away shop. It's my night off cooking as such, it only needs throwing in oven.....I think it's nice to have a night off now and again or once a week lol

I have logged what's in the freezer and done my menu from that, we eat mainly same stuff but I like to mix it up so don't always have same kind of food on same day of week. Keeps it going and doesn't get boring.

I shall soon hit the bathroom and then keep going with the washing till LO wakes

I think I shall also help OH out and build the last toy box we picked up at ikea in the week, it's last thing to be built, he has done the other toy box and the very cute table n chairs we got LO with his xmas money so I can do my bit to help. Plus they are very easy, we brought 2 of them last year they are brill, very big and very cute LOL

Now how much to set my grocery budget ummmm

SavingJane

Bathroom is done and I even mopped the floor, hardly ever gets done that, mats are in washer as I type

Grocery challenge we have gone for £150 but I hope to get this down to £120 over time

Now sat with a cuppa and a tin of quality streets waiting for LO to wake so we can pop down road and it's now raining booooooo

sammy_kaye18

Hello all

Can I please join you all?

We have just moved house so the place looks somewhat disshevelled - add to that a 7 year old and a 17 month old and its bedlam.

My partner sounds exactly like some other peoples on this thread. Wants a tidy, home and doesnt mind clutter - yet I cant stand clutter but accept that a house with two young kids will have a certain degree of mess in it! We do not see eye to eye here and that is our main arguing point too!

We too have a wooden tv cabinet.

My washing is everywhere, upstairs it is taking over the bedroom and downstairs it is multiplying in the kitchen but I dont own a drier and currently have no washing line which I've nagged the council to death about and its still not been sorted! :mad:so I have two airers and the radiators to do me.

I have never not had a washing pile. :eek: My partner is one of these annoying people who can come home in his work stuff, change to do a job in the garden, then shower, then put on another pair of clothes. Granted the baby is neither here nor there but I need bibs and my son I never know where any of his uniform is so think I need a uniform box.

Pretty sure I have a spare small plastic container box too which I might start to keep on the stairs near the front door and fill it the night before with things I need to take with me - ie pe kit, reading book, letters etc. I'll be organised yet!

I think I need to sit down and make a plan of attack for tomorrow and get my bum in gear.

Feels rather homely here with you all having the same goals as me!

gailey_2

welcome sammy k my new year goals same as yours

3kids even more mess guess same when you have stepson.
My 13year old stepsons messy I despair when its 4 kids messing up house.

Not much to report here.

went shopping

reductions in spar
small shop lidls
boots for baby food for my fussy diserning baby diner and aspirin
but they replaced tills with self serve
had to go pharmacy counter as cant do meds on self serve
massive queue so go photso where try to convice photo woman im not suicidal that can be trusted but no back to pharmacy where i wait for 15mins to then be quized where I picked up contraband aspirin from as its over the counter ahhh. but hubby was in tooth pain and gone dentist.

I have fed kids
made 12mini quiches
taken a load food out freezer to defrost for next few days meals
washed up

hubbys out at dentist
girls arguing making mess
washing machine and drier on
lounge /hall still looks like bombs it it
toddler made mess on klitchen floor so just about to hoover
still have everest of clean laundry to sort out in girls room

so not very productive day!feeling bit stressed fed up.
best go see what they up to as know they upstairs getting up to no good.

Hopefully be more productive and positive later.

its raining and cold and hubbys having useless day.

Fruball

yellowbear wrote: »

Gailey - Don't laugh, but I have a (very dusty) copy of 'How Clean Is Your House'! I might dust it off and have a look through it.
Leave the bathroom - your husband has cleaned it. It might not be to your standard, but at least he did it! How would you feel if you did a job for him and he came along and did it again? Would you want to do anything else for him? Let it go a bit, lovely.

2012 - My husband used to leave his wet towel on the bed every morning. Every morning I would pick up after him then I decided to leave the wet towel on the bed and guess what? At bedtime that night he got into a wet bed. Never did it again!

its the only way!!! My ex OH used to leave a dirty dish cloth in the sink (all crumbs, butter on it etc). It was disgusting! 7 years of nagging did nothing to change this appalling habit... until the day he was eating lovingly prepared dinner - chilli con carne IIRC - I said "You know I have been asking you for 7 years to put the dishcloth in the WM instead of the sink?...." I just got a look and eye roll back.... "Well..." I said "That one has been in there for a week so I gave your plate a quick wipe with it before I dished up your dinner" :cool:

Do you know... He never ever did it again!!! I applied that theory to everything else he did that aggravated me but it was too late... I had had enough and left him anyway.

sammy_kaye18 wrote: »

Hello all

Can I please join you all?

We have just moved house so the place looks somewhat disshevelled - add to that a 7 year old and a 17 month old and its bedlam.

My partner sounds exactly like some other peoples on this thread. Wants a tidy, home and doesnt mind clutter - yet I cant stand clutter but accept that a house with two young kids will have a certain degree of mess in it! We do not see eye to eye here and that is our main arguing point too!

We too have a wooden tv cabinet.

My washing is everywhere, upstairs it is taking over the bedroom and downstairs it is multiplying in the kitchen but I dont own a drier and currently have no washing line which I've nagged the council to death about and its still not been sorted! :mad:so I have two airers and the radiators to do me.

I have never not had a washing pile. :eek: My partner is one of these annoying people who can come home in his work stuff, change to do a job in the garden, then shower, then put on another pair of clothes. Granted the baby is neither here nor there but I need bibs and my son I never know where any of his uniform is so think I need a uniform box.

Pretty sure I have a spare small plastic container box too which I might start to keep on the stairs near the front door and fill it the night before with things I need to take with me - ie pe kit, reading book, letters etc. I'll be organised yet!

I think I need to sit down and make a plan of attack for tomorrow and get my bum in gear.

Feels rather homely here with you all having the same goals as me!

Heyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SammyK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Welcome - I've not seen you about on the forums in ages. How are Ben and Holly?

Glad you finally got a house - how is it? Hope you are all well xx

greenbee

I need it to stop raining so I can go out to the shed and cut my curtain pole to size, but at least the window sill is (almost) clear so I can put the blind down! I have made great progress on organising the study... present drawer is sorted, all work socks and tights are in clear zip-up bags in the chest of drawers in there, alongside my laptop bag (this may move when the wardrobe is in here and suitcases are stacked on top of it...). I'm going through my bedroom identifying items only used for work so that they can be transferred over. I have also been through the towels in the airing cupboard as my mum gave me some of hers that match my bathroom and I need to send some back to hers. But somehow one towel from a set I used last month is missing... there is no way it has been outside the house, so I can't quite work out how! I'm tempted to get a load of tape and start tying towels and bedding into bundles when they go into the airing cupboard.

gailey_2

yellowbear wrote: »

Gailey - Don't laugh, but I have a (very dusty) copy of 'How Clean Is Your House'! I might dust it off and have a look through it.
Leave the bathroom - your husband has cleaned it. It might not be to your standard, but at least he did it! How would you feel if you did a job for him and he came along and did it again? Would you want to do anything else for him? Let it go a bit, lovely.

2012 - My husband used to leave his wet towel on the bed every morning. Every morning I would pick up after him then I decided to leave the wet towel on the bed and guess what? At bedtime that night he got into a wet bed. Never did it again!

ooops no laughing I have that book too:o
Think my mam brought it me:rotfl:
I have other declutter books even tried feng suai in past!
Guess comined with anthea turners perfect housewife and a messy house makes me proper saddo:rotfl:

Right feel better

hoovered downstairs as bays crawling all round floor.
kids bribed with popcorn watching nemo on sofa with daddy
now just about to tackle laundry mountain
feel as if days running away with me:(

mumto2monkeys_2

Hi, I'd love to join you.

I'm having to accept I will be a SAHM for a while to come, and I need to get a grip of the house. It has been far too easy to ignore/let things slide whilst working full time.

I did a great declutter towards the end of last year, but I have since refilled the house by going bonkers with the Christmas spending.

Two years ago I did a really successful MSE year and paid off lots of debt; last year things slid and now we find ourselves with much less coming in. Time to get a grip and make sure we have things in place to secure us against a very uncertain future.

I am currently away from home for New Year, but starting next week I am back to meal planning, tight grocery budget, NSDs and definitely, definitely trying to get on top of the house. Like the original poster, I have REALLY let myself go and I want to try and get myself back as I feel like it's now or never.

gailey_2

Hi guys

Well dident get everything done not evn close

I drowned in girls laundry pile in girls room.

As a new parent

I brought far too much
underestimated how much clothes a 2nd person needs

discovered clothes as presents from family and freinds can be hideous or 2sizes too big and put aside for next decade when they do fit.feel obliged to make them wear the clothes.

Then had baby no2
got 1st babys clothes down from loft under estimated how much was in loft and I was good sold some on ebay.

Half the clothes I got down I then hated far too much pink so gave charity/sold
brought new stuff well used from nearly new sales/ebay.
The overly sentimental small baby stuff went into dolly clothes pile.

But over last few years discovered kids clothes breed
they get very dirty toddler probably has 2-3 changes a day
they shoot up fast.

So girl no 2 has lots of clothes as inherited a lot from older sister..

2nd issue is well meaning freinds and aqauanitances with same gender kids.
they round up all their stuff they dislike and dont fit and kindly hand to you.
I hate to seem ungrateful and accept.

OMG just gone through 4 big bags from 4different freinds.
feels like im sorting some of their clutter.
theres some hideous stuff
some threadbare stuff to take to cloth recycling bank
some stuff too small and 3rds a boy so need to pass on.

so i sorted clothes that fit into their draws
they dont actually all fit into their draws too much need more storage.
toddler has tallboy and cupboard with 2small raiuls fine for baby clothes but not toddler or young girl.

i have pile summer clothes-to be vac packed and put on top of our wardrobe

pile to sell- only expensive brands sell even then it can be hard

pile to give to freind which I wonder makes me as bad as rest but will ask her if she wants my 12-18 and 18-24.

my 5year old nearly 6 needs 7-8 shes tall
my 2year olds tall wears 2-3 and 3-4 so need to bundle up 4-5 and 5-6 and place in loft

my 5year olds fussy and only wears half of what shes got
shes also shot up so does need new clothes.

baby needs next size up hes my only boy.
quite enjoy clothes shopping for kids depressed me shopping for me.
But because 5year olds so fussy whens see something I like girls I buy for 2year old who has far too many clothes.

so tommorow need to go through 2year olds wardrobe and be ruthless
baby boys baskets currently under my bed need reveiwing again

I need to list old clothes for sale
i then need to make a shoping list for everyone.

2year old has 6coats!but they all so nice cant bare to part with.

maybe I am an obsessive hoarder

then once kids dealt with can sort out me as huby takes up 80%of shared wardrobe.
we lost afitted wardrobe and dident replace.
I need to be ruthless.

hubbys gone for fish and chips so least no cooking tonight.

but dident do kitchen
hall
or lounge

but i di wash up and hoover
plus laundry so big stage 1 complete
can see floor in girls room.

think anything done is progress and wont beat myself up tommorows another day