So what else can I do?

[Free Thinker]

My house is never cleaned up, I constantly have dishes and dirty clothes that need done, and I never even have a minute to myself. How do other mamas do it? Last night my DH was just telling me how we have too much STUFF just sitting around, and I need to get rid of some of it. I have been decluttering for a long time now. I've gotten rid of at least 10 large trashbags of clothes, stuff we don't use, ect. and there is still too much stuff! Maybe I just need a bigger house

I'd seriously like to hear from other moms how to get the house in tollerable shape most of the time (I'm not talking fly lady here, I'm talking at least dusted once a month or so!)

[Ruthla]

I agree with your DH- you need to get rid of more "stuff." I just got rid of 4 trunkloads of stuff (so about 16 large trash bags worth) this week, and I'm not done yet!!! I'm not even sure how many trash bags of stuff I threw out!!

Check out FlyLady again. It takes months to get to what you think of as "flylady clean," but only 15 minutes to get started. The flylady system is about pacing yourself, doing small amounts at a time, and taking the time to appreciate what you've done and be good to yourself! For example, you'd set your timer for 15 minutes, spend that time cleaning and decluttering, and when the timer goes off you stop, even though you're nowhere near "finished." The room looks way better than it did before you started and you get to sit and post at MDC without guilt (because you've already cleaned for the day.) Over time, things get cleaned up because you do a little bit each day most of the time. On the days you don't do it- well, you just get back on track the next day.

[Simplicity]

Best bit of advice. Don't worry about it all at once. It'll be too overwhelming. When you and your family has the energy during the day pick one small area and work on it for a bit. If you don't finish it don't beat yourself up. Go back to it the next day and so on. Don't take on HUGE projects. Take on the small stuff first. Go through rooms and toss what is clearly trash or broken. Then choose the spot that you feel you can complete in a timely matter. Make sure your hubby helps, and if you have children over the age of 3 or 4 they can help toss stuff too.

If that doesn't work, ask a friend to help you and support you though it. It's hard to take on alone but with the help of family and/or friends you can do this with a half hour to hour a day.

Also, toss things the day before trash day. That way it's not just sitting there for a week to be forgotten about. Once the trash bag is filled bring it to the garbage. The days you put the most work into tossing items should day before trash is picked up.

It doesn't take much time to wipe down one thing. If you have something that needs dusting and you notice it. Do it right away. Don't go through the whole house, just do one small project at a time. Once you start to notice a difference you'll get more energy and get more excited and it'll get completed.

[mamamillie]

The best advice I have gotten that has been a great help to me, is if it takes one minute or less DO IT NOW. Don't step over a piece of trash, throw it away...whatever you notice needs doing, just do it this very second if it will take a minute or less. I live by this and I swear it saves a lot of little stuff from piling up.

And also the 15 minute thing. I failed miserably at flylady, but I do set my timer for 15 minutes to clean up and it works well for me...I probably wouldn't keep at it for that long if I didn't set the timer, but 15 mins really is no time...although you can do a lot in that little time.

Good luck.

[magster]

Originally Posted by mamamillie

The best advice I have gotten that has been a great help to me, is if it takes one minute or less DO IT NOW. Don't step over a piece of trash, throw it away...whatever you notice needs doing, just do it this very second if it will take a minute or less. I live by this and I swear it saves a lot of little stuff from piling up.

Sounds good. I'll try that too.

[Electra375]

In the same boat, dh is coming home tired from his long commute and very disgruntaled about the house being a mess (too much stuff everywhere). He gets upset w our 6 yr old b/c his room is not picked-up etc.

I have a mentoring mom from one of our church women's ministries helping me. Tomorrow we are going to "bless" his room and take out the extras and leave it so he can pick it up, currently there is just too much stuff in his little room for him to even know where to start.

I'm working on the living room today -- I can almost vacuum the floor :LOL

Our idea of a clean house is different too. If I can get to the floors to vacuum or mop, I'm pretty happy. He comes in and see papers, books, things on surfaces and this irritates him -- he needs blank spaces. Even though he is just as guilty as anyone else in the family for putting stuff in the blank spaces.

So, no real advice, I'm just here looking for help myself.