[#1]

Hello everyone, I saw this message board and knew I had to join!  I live with my 3 children and partner in a very small house, which is always untidy.  There is just mess everywhere and I am struggling to find the motivation to clean it, I just dont know where to start. I suppose what I need is a kick up the backside.

Please help me Louise

[#2]

Hello everyone, I saw this message board and knew I had to join!  I live with my 3 children and partner in a very small house, which is always untidy.  There is just mess everywhere and I am struggling to find the motivation to clean it, I just dont know where to start. I suppose what I need is a kick up the backside.

Please help me Louise

[#3]

Hello & welcome Louise!!

So glad you found us.

First off, as requested, here is your KICK LOL

Secondly, most people find it helps to identify their worst things so they can start to change things, and also to find ONE small thing that they could do and set themsleves a challenge- you can do it here or in the bottom folder, but having a challenge gives you a target

Thirdly, have you ever heard of FLYLady? This is a link, and it is how I very first started with turning my life and home around http://www.flylady.net/ . She reccomends babysteps, and I think she is absolutely right. I remember the first time I cleaned my sink,(link) I just felt such a sense of achievement and it spread from there. Do please have a look at it.

OK, fourth thing. You have a lot of things on your plate, what with 3 kids (how old are they?) and all their associated bagage, but you can turn things round, just keep in mind, you didnt get into a mess in a week, and you wont get out of it in a week either!! LOL

Why not do 1 small thing today? Maybe clear a hot spot in your house where clutter builds up, like a pile of videos by the tv, or magazines on floor by sofa, or junk mail by front door something like that just to give yourself a sense of achievement, but then tonight have a think of how you could stop that building up again.

As I am sure you know, you cant clean clutter, just move it around, so a big part might be getting better or more effective storage, or getting rid of some stuff that you dont need or use, or just storing things outside the house.

Good luck with today and keep posting!!

Jules xx, Dreamteamgirl Happy Hallowe'en!

Mum to Sam, born Feb 05

CL on Mum's Club Feb 05 and Good Housekeeping

[#4]

WOW!!! How did you know I had magazines at the end of the sofa? he he. Hi Dreamteamgirl, firstly I want to thankyou, I have cleaned 3 hotspots today, the bin outside is full and my sink is shining!  Secondly I want to be honest, when I first read your reply and you had left the Flylady link, I thought to myself, 'whatever! im just getting palmed off here!', and left the site but then this evening when I had put the children to bed (aged 7, 5 and 3) I came back and I clicked on it and how happy am I?  I can see a light at the end of the tunnel, I can see that it will maybe take a fornight or two, but eventually I will get there AND FOR THIS I CANNOT THANK YOU ENOUGH! Hugs from a tremendously smiling Louise

[#5]

Oh Louise, you have really made me smile!!

The magazines ... hmmm well I was also guilty as charged, so I bought a small magazine rack so they are at least off the floor and when it gets fullish or every 2 or 3 weeks I clear it out- straight into recycling bin so easy peasy

I am sorry posting the flylady link made you feel like that tho- its just such a valuable first step and I felt you would gain from it, but I will have a think about how to raise it without making people feel pushed away so I do thank you for your honesty in saying that.

Huge congrats on clearing your first 3 hotspots and how lovely is a shining sink? I know for me it led to wanting to keep the area round it clean too, and it just kind of spreads from there

So chuffed you have had a great first day. Do think about setting yourself a diary or challenge post up- you will see lots of others in the bottom folder including mine which I have finally completed this week and its a good way to remind yourself of where you started when you get dispondant to look back and see how far you have come

Keep posting, its great to have you aboard

Jules xx

Jules xx, Dreamteamgirl Happy Hallowe'en!

Mum to Sam, born Feb 05

CL on Mum's Club Feb 05 and Good Housekeeping

[#6]

Hi Louise!

Well Jules has already kicked you so I won't add any more bruises but a big welcome from me too

Sounds like you're doing well. Storage is definitely the key for me. It's the things I have no homes for that just seem to become a permanent pile that gets scary to tackle after a while LOL. I have two children and I know how hard it can be to keep on top of things but once the big jobs are out the way it's a lot easier to maintain it!

co-CL Mums Club April 07

[#7]

Hi Jules Your right about the shiny sink spreading today I cleaned the window ledge infront of the sink, pullede down the voiles and washed them too, I have cleaned my cooker, on top of the large cuboards, 4 cuboard doors and have also been out all day with a friend!  I dressed to shoes this morning as soon as I got up I was straight into the shower, dressed, fed, children sorted, washer on and out of the door early for school, this has not happened in a long time!  we have just eaten dinner and for now I have had enough, I will set some challenges here and take my babysteps from there! Heres to Jules and my shiny sink -  hugs and thanks Louise

[#8]

Hi Mel thank you for your welcome and the lack of kicks from you lol. Your right about storage, we could really do with a shed but moneys tight at the minute as it is everywhere I suppose. But in the mean time everything is going to be asked the questions

• Do we use it?


• Do we love it?


• No?


• TO THE BIN!!!

This site is just magic thank you. I look forward to maintaining and loving my house once more Louise

[#9]

Hiya

Firstly  KICK you have now had one as requested.

I have found the easiest way is to sit down with a coffee, a pad and a pen, then take each room in turn and list everything that needs doing in each room, from making the bed to dust the TV in the living room, it looks a huge list but as each job is done cross it off, then when you have done a few jobs in one room it looks like you have done a huge amount.

Maybe keep a weekly checklist so each job that needs to be done is done on a certain day and try to stick to the routine, but keep it a mangeable one, no point in trying to change all the beds , hoover everywhere, clean the bathroom and do the all the washing on the same day - that would be impossible

Maybe try something like Monday, change beds, Tuesday , laundry, wednesday, dust and hoover all thru, but keep light dusting of noticeable areas daily, that sort of thing - just so it is all broken down into manageble chunks

I don't know how old your children are, but would it be possible to give them little jobs like picking up their own toys at the end of the day, say after tea but before bath and bed and if they are old enough give them each a specific job to do each week like maybe empty bins ready for you to put the rubbish/recycling out ready for collection, or ask them to make their own beds - something simple like that  - sorry if that is not appropriate but unfortanuately I don't have any children ( only the 4 legged furry ones).

I find it is easier for me to write the list and once job is done cross it off, I also have to do the housework in small manageable chunks so I can try to keep on top of the housey jobs or it drives me mad because once upon a time  I used to be able to keep on top of all the housey jobs, all the gardening and still find the time to work full time , now I struggle to keep the house tidy due to illness and disabilities.

Hope this helps a bit, keep talking us all, we will be able to help you along the way.

Hugs

Fiona

I'm working on it, lol

[#10]

Hi Louise

Just wanted to check in on you now Monday morning is here.

How did the weekend go? Did you take it nice and easy or just plough on?

And how's your sink looking?

Jules xx, Dreamteamgirl Happy Hallowe'en!

Mum to Sam, born Feb 05

CL on Mum's Club Feb 05 and Good Housekeeping

[#11]

thank you for posting this about flylady! I am now a member and have just shined my sink!!! xxxx