Night Elf Posted June 9, 2017 Share Posted June 9, 2017 I had a routine down, adopted from the Flylady system. It was a very loose adaptation but my house is small and I can get away with procrastinating. However, I got off my routine completely. My house is all of a sudden a hot mess. I have cleaning that needs to be done in every room and I'm feeling overwhelmed knowing where to start. The most productive things I did this week were cleaning out the microwave which was really dirty and sweeping the entire house. It looked like I had enough hair to make another pet! Yikes! So now I'm back on the sofa watching a Cake Wars episode and feeling guilty. I have zero motivation to get up and do something. The only thing I do regularly anymore is laundry because it's the chore I like most. I suppose this is just a vent. Technically I know what I need to do. I just need to pick one room and one chore and begin. But I don't want to! There are just too many things to do. I know I'm lucky because I don't have young children anymore. No more toys and books laying around everywhere. However, horizontal surfaces in my home are full of papers. Where did they all come from? Ugh. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted June 9, 2017 Share Posted June 9, 2017 I hear ya! I've been swamped with a ridiculous number of things, and the last thing I want to do with my little free time is housework. So, yeah, it looks like several bombs have gone off. I did neaten up the piles of clean laundry that are on the couch! It isn't as if anyone other than me uses hangers or drawers, anyway. :glare: 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted June 9, 2017 Share Posted June 9, 2017 The one thing I kept from Flylady was that 10 minutes in each room thing. It makes such a difference in a short time. Set a timer and do that. In an hour everything will be different. You can take a break, then do a decent job on just ONE room or area. It'll probably be enough to make you feel accomplished today. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted June 9, 2017 Share Posted June 9, 2017 This past school year set the house back a lot. It's a disaster! I've figured out that all my cupboards and dressers and drawers need to be reorganized. I bought a bunch of bins and the things that were stuffed in closets and drawers that we rarely use will be put in the bins, labeled, and stored in the basement. While I'm reorganizing I'm also deep cleaning. It took 3 days to get the living room done, and I'm on my 2nd day of the dining room. I expect it'll take a full month for the house to be completely revamped and deep cleaned. But I'm feeling soooooo good right now! My LR is gorgeous! So roomy all of a sudden. My house is tiny and now that I've cleared out some clutter and moved a piece of furniture to a new home, it is so nice in there. :). And I'm seeing a light at the end of the tunnel in my messy DR. The key for me: no electronics and limited books. I waste a lot of time here and watching tv. I made the mistake of looking here just now as I took a quick snack break and I've already wasted too much time. Up until now, I've limited myself to electronics only twice a day (morning and just before bed.). I need to sign off and go through that candle cupboard in the diningroom and toss the stuff I don't need anymore. :). It feels good to toss and declutter and reorganize. When I started, I was completely overwhelmed. There is so much to do! Soooo much! So, I'm going through the house wall by wall. Everything on that wall (pictures, furniture, baseboards, windows, curtains) gets cleaned. Then I clean in the middle (tables, beds, etc.). That's what I do when I don't know where to start. Just pick a corner and start moving around the room following the wall as I go. Ok--break is over. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jewellsmommy Posted June 9, 2017 Share Posted June 9, 2017 I can sympathize. I have clutter on multiple surfaces. You know that type where you can't throw it away, it's not ready to be filed because there is still something you have to do, but I'm afraid if I put it in temporary storage then it won't be there visibly to nag me into getting it done. :lol: ...or maybe it's just me. Other than the paper clutter, most of my house is clean -swept, dishes done, no laundry, cat boxes are clean, BUT the upstairs shower is way overdo for a cleaning. I'm really bad at showers. I just keep ignoring it and finding other, more pressing, matters to tend to ;) . Sigh...and my dining room table has a bunch of school stuff on it. I'm trying to wrap up this year and start planning for next year. Oh, and I need to clean the rattie cage, ...and I need to figure out dinner. I had intended to mop today but didn't. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twigs Posted June 9, 2017 Share Posted June 9, 2017 As soon as Cake Wars is over - go clean your sink! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted June 9, 2017 Author Share Posted June 9, 2017 As soon as Cake Wars is over - go clean your sink! Ok, but I'm not wearing shoes! 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2_girls_mommy Posted June 9, 2017 Share Posted June 9, 2017 I do Flylady full time in the summers. I got started this week, and it is really so exciting. I have so many problem clutter areas. I have school stuff too that needs decluttered, but I am going to totally do her system this summer to get the house back in shape. So if it helps you, this week is the kitchen. Friday is clean out your purse and car day (and date night, if you are so inclined!) I have assigned my own daily zone missions in the kitchen because hers haven't applied as much to me. Today I did the tupperware and casserole dish cupboard! I hauled a ton of stuff to the recycle basket. I didn't totally do the cup and water bottle cabinet. But I have made a point to throw out one or two this week that I don't really care for. Since today is the last day of kitchen, the cup cabinet will wait until next month. This week's missions for me were: Daily morning routines: make bed, swish and swipe bathroom, start laundry (and put away as soon as dry. Sounds like you have that under control.) Home blessing. I have made a point to try to hit all 7 of the missions once this week. Sweeping your whole house was one of them! Kitchen missions I assigned myself daily: I cleaned my oven. So gross. Can't remember the last time I did it. Cleaned out the silverware drawer. Cleaned out the foil drawer. Tupperware cabinet. I dropped the ball on cleaning the fridge. I have thrown out some leftovers, but I did want to get it all wiped out. I will aim for that tomorrow. Nightly missions: One hotspot (mine has been the kitchen table and living room floor, because I do have a little leaving toys and crayons everywhere!) And empty sink. Like someone said, just go start with your sink. I like to give myself a daily homeschool mission too, but I haven't gotten going on them too much yet. It involves planning and reading. But it feels SOOOO good to get back to decluttering and wiping out cabinets. Whatever I get done in the summer is what gets done around here. It usually stays really good for most of the year. But by the last couple of months, we were getting sloppy. And no matter how much I tell my teens to clean their room, it is as if they don't see the mess. They will clear a general pathway, but skip corners and tabletops and such. So next week for the bathroom and "extra room" zone, I plan to do major decluttering and labeling in their rooms. They need to cut down a ton on clothes. They have way too many they won't keep track of. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twigs Posted June 9, 2017 Share Posted June 9, 2017 (edited) Ok, but I'm not wearing shoes! Just don't tell the sink! :D ETA - don't tell FlyLady either! Edited June 9, 2017 by Twigs 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted June 9, 2017 Share Posted June 9, 2017 I hear you, too. I have to take all the preschool materials I have and get them out of my garage and car, and organize them and put them away til the Fall. There.is.so.much. I basically furnish my entire classroom by things I make or loose parts I bring in. I feel like I can only do it when dd isn't around, so I have next week and the week after before she's done with b&m school and home for the summer. One thing that helps me get to a chore that I don't want to do is to set the timer for an impossibly short time that I can bear without a problem (so, maybe 3 minutes). I give myself permission to stop at the end of the time. I usually just keep going. Hasn't worked for this, though. Sigh. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2_girls_mommy Posted June 9, 2017 Share Posted June 9, 2017 I hear you, too. I have to take all the preschool materials I have and get them out of my garage and car, and organize them and put them away til the Fall. There.is.so.much. I basically furnish my entire classroom by things I make or loose parts I bring in. I feel like I can only do it when dd isn't around, so I have next week and the week after before she's done with b&m school and home for the summer. One thing that helps me get to a chore that I don't want to do is to set the timer for an impossibly short time that I can bear without a problem (so, maybe 3 minutes). I give myself permission to stop at the end of the time. I usually just keep going. Hasn't worked for this, though. Sigh. I do 5 min room rescues. This week was kitchen zone according to flylady, but baby's room had piles of clothes and books on her table. So I did a 5 min. room rescue on Monday which gave me a headstart. That was all I got to all week besides changing her sheets for home blessing step and picking up a few things while in there. Finally I finished the clothes and books on Thursday and did spot sweep and mopping. So basically in 10 minutes over the course of the week I got her room cleaned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted June 9, 2017 Share Posted June 9, 2017 I really, really wish I was a stress cleaner but I am not. I envy people who work off stress by doing housework. I go the opposite way, and the past month has been crazy stressful. So my house isn't up to par. What helps me get back on track is having a daily list of things I want to accomplish and podcasts so I can be entertained while I'm working. I'm a weirdo...I list things that are super small so I can have that sense of accomplishment. Like cleaning the litter box, or sweeping the floors. Baby steps...eventually I get control of my house. You can do it! Start small. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danestress Posted June 9, 2017 Share Posted June 9, 2017 I like to use a five minute timer when I can't get started. I set it and clean in one room for five minutes. When it rings, I have to move to a different room. I can go back after it rings or keep moving. It always helps me get some momentum, and I am often surprised at how much I can get done in five minute periods. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JIN MOUSA Posted June 10, 2017 Share Posted June 10, 2017 I think my housekeeping ball got lost in the move ... almost 2 years ago :lol: 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evergreen State Sue Posted June 10, 2017 Share Posted June 10, 2017 I don't have littles either, but it's almost worse because my young adults are so busy with their activities that they don't have time to help but more than enough time to contribute to the mess. Lots of great tips here. Thanks all for a little motivation, even though I wasn't the op. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 10, 2017 Share Posted June 10, 2017 .... yeah. I'm doing a little better, but I went from highly clean and organized to a hot mess a few years ago. I'm regaining control in bite sized pieces but I really need two weeks with nobody here, a giant dumpster, chocolate, and maybe a blowtorch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maize Posted June 10, 2017 Share Posted June 10, 2017 Shoes... The shoes thing really turned me off of flylady when I investigated it. Wonder what she would think of me doing my morning run out in the neighborhood barefoot? My feet Do Not Like shoes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maize Posted June 10, 2017 Share Posted June 10, 2017 .... yeah. I'm doing a little better, but I went from highly clean and organized to a hot mess a few years ago. I'm regaining control in bite sized pieces but I really need two weeks with nobody here, a giant dumpster, chocolate, and maybe a blowtorch. How about a pack of Hive friends to help out? We can do my house next. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartlikealion Posted June 10, 2017 Share Posted June 10, 2017 I'm joining you on the couch to watch Cake Wars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 10, 2017 Share Posted June 10, 2017 How about a pack of Hive friends to help out? We can do my house next. I volunteer to hold babies while you guys clean!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maize Posted June 10, 2017 Share Posted June 10, 2017 I volunteer to hold babies while you guys clean!!!! You're hired! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted June 10, 2017 Author Share Posted June 10, 2017 I forgot about the timer. I think I'll try that today. The routine I developed didn't take long each day because my house is small and mostly decluttered. The exceptions are the storage room and attic which frighten both DH and me. It's a case of what if we need this later or one of our kids does. I do need to file all these papers laying around though or toss them if not needed. Many of them are things DH usually takes care of so I don't know what to do with them. Also, I think I'll have DH take the recycles to the recycle center today. They aren't in the way but I know they're filling up our containers quickly. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2_girls_mommy Posted June 10, 2017 Share Posted June 10, 2017 Night elf, I laughed out loud at your op. I'm pretty sure everyone's house was cleaner pre-hgtv and pre-food network. Those shows are addicting! That should be their slogan... HGTV: making houses look like crap since 1994! (And yes, I had to google that date... wow!! 1994!!!) Anyway, I feel your pain. I've been in prep mode for vbs next week and my house is littered with craft supplies, plus laundry and everything else since I've had no time to put anything away. It's making me nuts. I think I'm going to start tackling each room, one by one. I did that a month or two ago, but I need to declutter and organize better, so I'll do another round after vbs. Oh Man, I am so glad we got VBS done early this year! That's why I am back on Flylady this week. Kids are gone to church camp and VBS is done! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudoMom Posted June 10, 2017 Share Posted June 10, 2017 MMMMMMmmmmmmm...cake. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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