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Messy Moms help thread (dads and others too!) - Page 5

post #81 of 122
10/25/10 at 6:28am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Theoretica View Post
What about those odd, random things that don't have a specific place? What then? I do GREAT with categorizing, but these damned little things that have importance yet not enough to have their own PLACE...GRRRR!!!

Any ideas?
We keep old biscuit tins for these things..those tall tins that used to hold long wafer biscuits, they are perfect for putting random bits and pieces in that have no particular place to go.

I have another tin for keeping bits that I know go with a certain set or toy, but can't locate the rest of it at that moment!

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post #82 of 122
10/25/10 at 11:22am
Quote:
Originally Posted by doubledutch View Post
such as?
I'll make a list and post it!
post #83 of 122
10/27/10 at 8:23pm
Subbing in the hopes of getting into the spirit and suddenly becoming a neat person.
post #84 of 122
10/27/10 at 9:50pm
Neat person or not, decluttering is so much of the solution!
Less stuff=less crap that needs cleaning/organizing/schlepping around.

Watching this thread, I'm thinking that there is definitely some variation from one household to the next as to what constitues clutter. In our house, books are not negotiable, so building a huge bookcase was one of the first things we did when we bought our house. (Now that we've outgrown it, though, decluttering is about culling the ones we don't need so that the best ones all fit on the shelves...)
Cloth diapers were not a problem. We had a system, and it worked. Same with mama cloth. (I also use cloth wipes myself for pee for 3/4 of the month but that's only me, so it works out fine- anything beyond that would not work so we don't try)

Luckily it's easy giving away stuff here- we have to truck our trash and recycling ourselves, so we always bring along boxes of books and toys and kitchen gadgets and ____, and bags of clothes and sheets and blankets and towels and _____ to drop off in the free room whenever we go. I always have an empty box downstairs, and a bag upstairs, ready for stuff so that whenever I find myself holding something that could leave the house, I can take a few steps and shove it into the bag- and never look back again! Back when we were really snowed in with stuff (MIL sold her house and swamped us with a tsunami of brickabrack) I had one of those cheap plastic shopping bags on every doorknob in the house. They filled up quickly, once it became so easy to cull stuff from the piles everywhere.

I'm shivering thinking about Christmas coming up. In DH's huge family, it's all about junky quantity over quality. It has gotten better very gradually, but by this time of year, we're scrambling to come up with ideas to suggest when they ask us what the kids would like for Christmas (and DD's birthday very soon) We'd love a bunch of museum memberships, but everybody wants to have something fun wrapped in a box that they can watch the kids unwrap. I can't blame them, I just feel badly for my kids overwhelmed with stuff. They can't help but get attached to stuff, but then they drown in the massive volume of it all. Luckily my younger fella is pretty open to letting go of toys and clothes. It's time for yet another purge.

Just wanted to give a to the poster whose DP is messy- that's us!
I like things organized. Not bleached-scrubbed-sterile, but reasonably organized.
Comfy dignity is all I ask for.
DH, on the other hand, is worse than a #$% teenager/puppy/tornado. After ten years of marriage, I'm having a very hard time keeping my motivation to carry out 95% of this work. The house has been a wreck for a couple of years, and I think the mess is actually worse for my mental health than the single-handed cleaning was. So now I'm trying to dig out of it, and the job is incredibly daunting. I try to pick tiny areas and do them one at a time. We homeschool, so I have plenty of chances, in small doses, throughout the day. I pick one drawer, and sometimes that one drawer takes all day (in the small doses) I pick one part of a big desktop, and set the tone for where future stuff will go for that area. It's happening in tiny baby steps, but any progress feels better than none.
Also, we do better with the whole nag/resist/nag/lash-out cycle when we give jobs a schedule. We made the schedule together, and now certain things happen on certain days of the week. Sometimes we kick butt, sometimes we only make small gains, but at least we're sharing the work (and the kids too) and spending energy improving things rather than bickering with each other
post #85 of 122
10/28/10 at 11:35pm
Well. I've emailed GearGirl and haven't heard back, I hope she's ok! After reading her amazing enthusiasm and motivating encouragement, I've decided we need to keep this thread going In Absentia so she can see the awesomeness that she has started once she returns

I have donated the captains bed, the queen bed, the desk, the mattress set, the rocking chair, and several bags of clothes. All was supposed to go on craigslist but I A) have held onto it for YEARS, so it's driving me nuts and taking up useful space and B) I gave myself a deadline of 7 days to get it sold and gone, and I didn't even have the time to get it listed. Since life is genuinely THAT crazy, it's no wonder I never get 'around to it'.

Oh. That reminds me. Ladies, I present to you all....

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...pictureid=1931



Let's get moving, no more excuses, make GearGirl proud of us!!!
post #86 of 122
10/29/10 at 3:26am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Theoretica View Post
Since life is genuinely THAT crazy, it's no wonder I never get 'around to it'.

Oh. That reminds me. Ladies, I present to you all....

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...pictureid=1931



Let's get moving, no more excuses, make GearGirl proud of us!!!
Theoretica, I love it!

I'm subscribing to this thread, it's awesome! I am a messy person. Some might even say a slob. But the arrival of my 2nd child just over a month ago seems to be motivating me to be better. Well the arrival of my first did bring about a bit more organization and 'doing' on my part, but now I just don't feel like theres time to ever do a huge cleanup if I let things go for awhile, so I've sort of been keeping on top of it. Sort of... I've been doing dishes daily (twice even!) and tidying, cleaning floors and SLOWLY decluttering. This thread is inspiring me. I want to super declutter. I am bogged down by the constant laundry, and we already have too many toys and ds isn't even 2! Today I was cleaning out a closet and found a reusable shopping bag full of garbage from christmas, like ends of wrapping paper and scraps from craft-making, just trash. I was appalled, and I'm probably the one that shoved it top of ds' closet!
Anyway, great thread. And if gear girl is off writing a book, I hope she posts us a few snippets sometime!
post #87 of 122
10/29/10 at 10:01am
LOL! I love it!

Can I put mine on hold-- cuz I've got a really nasty cold or sinus infection or something right now. My house it falling apart, but I can't get up the energy to do much more than the dishes.
post #88 of 122
10/29/10 at 8:07pm
This thread super inspied me. I was so happy the other day that the house was suddenly a mess but I was able to clean it up fairly quickly because of all the decluttering work I have been doing.
post #89 of 122
10/30/10 at 12:09pm
Read the whole thread. Will post my own story sometime (it aint pretty).

Watched many episodes of Hoarders last night, in the middle of the night. Couldn't stop. I am not a hoarder, far from it. I'm more on the overwhelmed-messy side of things. Dh is actually the one who can't let go. A Sponge Bob lunchbox from Goodwill that nobody's laid eyes on for at least a year, until I threw it in the garbage this morning? Yep, dh sees that as traitorous (if that's a word). But my messiness falls into the not-okay side, on a level where dd WILL start to become embarrassed bringing friends over; or worse, she'll think this is normal.

Today, I scrubbed all the kitchen cupboards after smelling something REALLY bad. One tiny room is sparkly.

One problem I have is being clueless on follow-through. Specifically this morning, I noticed the shelf paper is literally peeling and falling apart. It cannot be cleaned properly and could easily hide an infestation someday.

Dh agrees it needs to be replaced, but predictably asked me to leave it "for now." I have NO IDEA how to buy, size and cut-to-fit new tack/shelf paper. I am 42 years old. How can I NOT be able to figure this out? I feel like such a child. I WANT TO GROW UP!!!!!! Other people seem to know how to do simple things like this and I want to be one of them. I want to know how to really keep a house happy, without making clean up time something scary and all-consuming.

This has to be my number one priority pretty much for the next year.
post #90 of 122
10/30/10 at 1:48pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by carfreemama View Post
One problem I have is being clueless on follow-through. Specifically this morning, I noticed the shelf paper is literally peeling and falling apart. It cannot be cleaned properly and could easily hide an infestation someday.

Dh agrees it needs to be replaced, but predictably asked me to leave it "for now." I have NO IDEA how to buy, size and cut-to-fit new tack/shelf paper. I am 42 years old. How can I NOT be able to figure this out? I feel like such a child. I WANT TO GROW UP!!!!!! Other people seem to know how to do simple things like this and I want to be one of them. I want to know how to really keep a house happy, without making clean up time something scary and all-consuming.
Re: the shelf liners: You can do it one of three ways. Scrape out the old stuff and leave a bare shelf. (I never have understood the purpose of shelf liners.) Or measure the inside of one shelf, multiply two adjoining sides to get the square inches, then multiply that by the number of shelves you have (if they are all the same size). Then buy as many rolls as you need to cover that many square feet, plus some. Cut the rolls into the right size pieces using a straight edge and a utility knife, then scrape out the old stuff and stick on the new. Way three is a little less planned. Pick up a bunch of rolls in a pattern that the store has a lot of just in case you need to get more. Then come home and measure and cut each liner using a straight edge and a utility knife. Scrape, stick, and repeat. Then return any unused rolls or run to the store and hope they still have some left if you didn't buy enough.

If it's overwhelming just tackle one shelf at a time. I'd start with the highest shelves, so as you learn as you go you don't have to look at the mistakes every single day.
post #91 of 122
10/30/10 at 3:06pm
Thanks, Althara, I know I can do this! Though I have to say, "straight edge" and "utility knife" are at the outside of my knowledge base. I would leave them bare, or paint them; but dh would have a meltdown. So new shelf paper it is. I will do this THIS WEEK. This will be my goal.

I am also pledging to throw out something every time I go down to the basement. It's completely overwhelming, but so far I've thrown out 4 boxes of garbage today!
post #92 of 122
10/30/10 at 5:24pm
Woohoo carfreemama, four boxes is no mean feat!

I get stumped by small diy tasks too. There are some cupboard doors for the kitchen that have come off, the hinges need fixing, but the holes are now too big. All my pots are in there, and now I have a 9 month old crawling bub I really need to tackle it. Plus, it doesn't look great. I seem to have enough trouble just keeping up with the cleaning and regular household tasks, but these back-burner kind of tasks wear me down when ignored for too long!
post #93 of 122
11/1/10 at 1:28am
Quote:
Originally Posted by carfreemama View Post
I have NO IDEA how to buy, size and cut-to-fit new tack/shelf paper. I am 42 years old. How can I NOT be able to figure this out? I feel like such a child. I WANT TO GROW UP!!!!!! Other people seem to know how to do simple things like this and I want to be one of them. I want to know how to really keep a house happy, without making clean up time something scary and all-consuming.
I don't know if it would meet your needs, but there's non-sticky shelf lining stuff out there. It's smooth but still seems non-skid, comes in a roll in quite a few patterns, but you just roll it out and lay it down, I'm using it to cover un-pretty, old shelves and drawers. I don't think it has to be cut exactly, especially in cupboards that it's difficult to see the back corners.
post #94 of 122
11/1/10 at 12:42pm
Hey, tanyalynn, that might just do the trick! Still holding myself accountable for getting this project done this week.

Oceanone, would you like to set a goal for your cupboard doors? Or is it just too much right now with your 9-month-old? Need any ideas (not that I know how, but I can google)!

I just bought the motivated moms printout from the other thread. I am going to give it my all, but stil post here (cause I am MESSY). I love it, but boy does it show me how much I DON'T do. I really don't know how to clean, so this chore list is perfect for me. Actually I know HOW to clean; as in, I know how to change sheets and vacuum and such. I just don't know how to systematically keep the house clean and I DO NOT pick up after myself. So far in 3 days, I have managed to do almost everything on the list. I work from home, so now I don't surf the net (not even MDC) when I lose focus. I get up and do one of the chores. It's reducing my anxiety about work and getting my house clean. And then I can check MDC with a totally clear conscience and it's much more fun!

How is everybody? Anyone hear from Geargirl? Thanks to everybody for keeping us going in the meantime.
post #95 of 122
11/1/10 at 1:28pm
i've done a ton of decluttering in one specific room of my house, but i haven't added it to my 2010 in 2010 list because it's still *in* my house. i don't count it until it's actually gone. but it's a looooooooooong list! i'm excited to add it all up (and to get rid of it, of course).
post #96 of 122
11/1/10 at 5:38pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by carfreemama View Post
Oceanone, would you like to set a goal for your cupboard doors? Or is it just too much right now with your 9-month-old? Need any ideas (not that I know how, but I can google)!
Thanks Carfreemama, I think I could set a goal for my dh, and I could make sure he has all he needs here to fix them, and the time to do so. Apparently this project requires new dowels, and some super duper new hinges! you are right, we just need to make it happen. That's how we eventually got our bathroom window painted...
post #97 of 122
11/1/10 at 8:59pm
I got two tasks completed that have been driving me crazy. The covering on my baseboard heat in the front hall kept falling off so I eventually just took it off but it looked awlful. The other day I used some white duct tape and taped it back on. It doesn't look perfect but it is 100% better looking. I also painted the baseboard heat in my bathroom that was all rusty. About $5 in supplies fixed something that has bothered me forever. I kept thinking we were going to redo that bathroom but that is on the back burner for now. It feels so good to complete these small tasks.
post #98 of 122
11/3/10 at 2:12pm
...loving this thread. Hope GearGirl comes back to add more!
post #99 of 122
11/4/10 at 9:20am
Just found this thread and love love love it! I am a messy person and I love the idea that going about things differently from a neat person is OK. Phew!
post #100 of 122
11/4/10 at 11:25am
Just wanted to say congrats, lucky mia, on your tasks-accomplished.

It's Thursday, anyone making progress? Needing support or pep talks?

Let's clear ourselves some space for a little weekend fun, by getting some stuff done now!

You may also like:

Sitting or Squatting: What's Really Best in the Bathroom?
There Is Not Always a "Fix" For the Difficult Child
10 Things You Don't Need For a New Baby
Mothering › Mothering Discussion Forums › Natural Family Living › The Mindful Home › Decluttering, Organizing, & Simplifying › Messy Moms help thread (dads and others too!)