What the hell have we done

RosaBernicia

I totally recommend FlyLady. She gets that some of us just need different ways of thinking about stuff to get it done, and even reminding myself that cleaning can be 'home blessing' and an act of gratitude makes me feel different about it. Plus you never get behind... which in my case is just as well. It really helped me get through the times I was doing a job and a degree and looking after a house and garden. I keep intending to go back to the routines once I finish decluttering the house but looking at it again there are probably things I can do now



Here's the getting started bit on the website in case you want a look. http://www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/





Rosa xx

teafor2

Thanks Aaleigha. She's been on tablets for about 18 months now and we just have the occasional blip - generally when she's really tired and extra stressed with exams. After she's calmed down she always apologises, bless her. I just tell her it's fine but gently point out when she's literally asking me for answers and none of them are right it can be very hard going.

Can't help with the housework I'm afraid. Some days I give mine a really good blitz other days it's as much as I can do to hoover, tidy kitchen, wipe round bathroom. As long as I'm not sat in clutter I can turn a blind eye to most things until I'm ready to tackle them. I've heard a lot of people recommend FlyLady so definitely worth a look. x

Aaleigha

jwil wrote: »

Have you had a look at flylady on here? You could start by just doing level one each day. It's manageable then.

I did see it but it's so quick I am unsure if I will cope well
But apparently she learnt what she did fro SHE then relabelled it with a few tweaks, just what I was told

SHE Is get organised then start so to Me I think more doable but who knows

Aaleigha

Thanks for th fly lady but I don't understand how you can not be beyond

In this house due to illness I could not do anything after a bit hubby starts to do so much over time that we only went in rooms we needed to and they were a mess but the new house is going to be clean when we move in and as we unpack tidy no home and it can't stay
My new motto

When we get the keys we are staying that day until the place is spotless that means I clean every thing including carpets if I don't have time starting upstairs and working down then will do the annex bedrooms bathrooms and then lounge and kitchen then back into cottage to do all of downstairs biggest worry is the two cookers are not clean enough
So the key collecting day will be a cleaning day as well taking steam cleaner carpet cleaner one vacuum bucket and mop

Only when it is done do e book van to move

So I want a routine in place befor we go
On hour a week will do annex Quick damp dust vacuum etc unless it's being used

So I am going o start with looking into fly lady (thank you) and she I am hoping one of those will be the right thing for me

I am sure there are loads of books out there

I know we will be better off in a few years time and then hubby says a cleaner once or twice a week once my son comes to join us we will be far more comfortable but I really want to get myself into good routines

Going to read the fly lady thread now

TEA Please make sure your doc is doing all they can for your daughter especially around stressful times like exams

I have tried to explain what happens inside my head at bad times my daughter jut burst into tears (she is mid thirties) knowing that she could do nothing to help

Seeing her face means I do know something of what it must be like for you looking at your daughter

Just don't do what my hubby did once he did think it was right

Shall I make you a cuppa...
Me:- only if you want to wear it
He did hake it and yes he did wear it cup and all

We both think it's hilarious now and some times hen I am bad he does say cuppa and I either loose it totally or laugh so much I cry

XXXX

Thank you all

Choccygirl123

I'm struggling with my housework two and have a cleaner who comes every fortnight for two hours. She does the bits I can't at the minute : windows, cleaning all tiled floors, bathrooms and bedding change if hubby not done ours. She's a god send but I'm thinking she may have to go if I lose my job. In the meantime I love her help.

I always do little and often rather than full days of cleaning. For me it's having everything tidy, away where it should be. I break it down into little mini jobs and do as many as I can (not many on crutches, but whiz through them in wheelchair) normally whilst waiting for kettle to boil for my cuppa.

Kitchen
Clear worktops (Like bread in bread bin not on top) jams back in cupboard
Everything in dishwasher or washed up
Anything on draining board dried and away
tea towels on oven handles not dumped on tops
Remove tea bag mountain
Put recycling out
Change waste bag of bin nearly full
Quick wipe of all worktops
Wipe unit doors if marked
Seems silly but this takes less 10mins and I don't have to do it all the time. Today was a quick blitz as on top of it all yesterday. Tomorrow I'll give the job and splash back wipe and worktops as everything else away from dinner.

When a miracle happens (prob twice week) I only spend 1 minute giving worktops wipe down. During the day if people leave non kitchen things in there, they get told to shift it or I put it on stairs if they need it to go up or it goes in utility.

Some people thing that's crazy to do it every day, but my kitchen is the heart of our home. Friends and visitors all sit around out huge table. The upstairs of the house can be a bombsite, but at least that's sorted.

The only other jobs I do daily are check loos (clean if needed) check loo rolls & hand towels and Shake duvets over beds so at least looks like an atenot has been made to make them.







go into each room once every day to put it 'tidy'

Bedrooms : cups down

Aaleigha

Choccygirl123 wrote: »

I'm struggling with my housework two and have a cleaner who comes every fortnight for two hours. She does the bits I can't at the minute : windows, cleaning all tiled floors, bathrooms and bedding change if hubby not done ours. She's a god send but I'm thinking she may have to go if I lose my job. In the meantime I love her help.

I always do little and often rather than full days of cleaning. For me it's having everything tidy, away where it should be. I break it down into little mini jobs and do as many as I can (not many on crutches, but whiz through them in wheelchair) normally whilst waiting for kettle to boil for my cuppa.

Kitchen
Clear worktops (Like bread in bread bin not on top) jams back in cupboard
Everything in dishwasher or washed up
Anything on draining board dried and away
tea towels on oven handles not dumped on tops
Remove tea bag mountain
Put recycling out
Change waste bag of bin nearly full
Quick wipe of all worktops
Wipe unit doors if marked
Seems silly but this takes less 10mins and I don't have to do it all the time. Today was a quick blitz as on top of it all yesterday. Tomorrow I'll give the job and splash back wipe and worktops as everything else away from dinner.

When a miracle happens (prob twice week) I only spend 1 minute giving worktops wipe down. During the day if people leave non kitchen things in there, they get told to shift it or I put it on stairs if they need it to go up or it goes in utility.

Some people thing that's crazy to do it every day, but my kitchen is the heart of our home. Friends and visitors all sit around out huge table. The upstairs of the house can be a bombsite, but at least that's sorted.

The only other jobs I do daily are check loos (clean if needed) check loo rolls & hand towels and Shake duvets over beds so at least looks like an atenot has been made to make them.







go into each room once every day to put it 'tidy'

Bedrooms : cups down

that sounds very much like the sidetracked home executives book

eg when on phone tidy a drawer

my hubby has been in charge of the kitchen this last week or so due to my mental health - but when we move it wont be happening its not worth how much I am going to have to do to put it right

I am hoping that living a more quiet life and a new start will help my mental health that is one reason to go - if so housework wont be a problem

Choccygirl123

I'll google the sidetracked exc never heard of it. I think you need to stop being so hard on yourself and stop worrying about cleaning. You're in the middle on moving, boxes everywhere so it's impossible to try. I'd concentrate on cleaning the things as you pack them. The rest of house can wait. It'll be so much easier knowing new house clean and so is everything you unpack. It won't be long before the move is out the way.

Hope you have a good day x

Aaleigha

You are right
There are more boxes than seats in this house, Choccy

The sidetracked home execs

Is where fly lady started I have done a lot of reading and think she is far to proscriptive for me telling what to do on what day and email reminders

But she learnt what she did from SHE and they do the same thing but index cards which you can put on which days of the week you want

Different colours for when things should be done
One for daily and every other day
One for weekly one for monthly and lastly for seasonal

This I think is more my style as it gas more flexibility

So I am in the process of the organisational phase

Today I went for an aromatherapy massage, worth every penny, half my allowance gone.

Got the deeds, at last, from BS and took to solicitors. This is another step forward.

Feel like it's all moving again, part of me can't wait, the other part is now in a panic. Are we doing the right thing

It's something DH really wants he needs the pressure of duty taken from his shoulders.

Off to think of my list..

Igamogam

Flylady flippin scared me! As did the Mari Kondo woman:eek:

However...........lovely thread on here that started with Mari Konod idea and is now a really friendly supportive group of people not all of whom follow the KM methods....me included but have lots of lovely supportive ideas. Must admit I have a lovey drawer of folded knickers and colour coded socks a la KM but I am not a convert I have been on a declutter journey for years and am now well practised....the one thing is not to get too hung up about it and do it your own pace, ask for help when needed and learn to say goodbye. I will not just dump anything. It has to be passed on or sold or recycled. That is my only rule...otherwise a couple of skips about 4 years ago would have sorted it :rotfl: Moving house is a great motivator........you really do not want to be hauling extra stuff half way across the country

RosaBernicia

Yes, FlyLady was apparently based on SHE and has a lot of cheesy American rah-rah. I don't mind that as the tone is always supportive and I would just forget/ ignore my cards, and I started FlyLady with the book before the emails etc came in, but I can see that if the emails are likely to make you anxious it makes sense to not volunteer for them.