Depressed over messy, cluttered, ugly house!! Help? - Page 10

[Bestbirths]

Em T- I have to thank the US Postal Service rate hike for giving me the brilliant idea. I was planning to sell the items on ebay. I was reading on disboards (a board about disney vacation planning) and how people raise money for their disney trips. There was a thread on how everyone was bailing from ebay because the new postal rates were doubling shipping costs. They were all going to craigslist because it was free. I went to check out craigslist, found the barter section, put 2 and two together and the rest is history

[UberMama]

Bestbirths, I just wanted to say good for you! CL is awesome, the barter section can especially be useful. Some cities have Yahoo Groups for bartering as well. Also, check out Services at CL - some people post their services there and offer to barter them.

[wendygrace]

Bestbirths, I will have to check the thread. I have ignored it because I just can't do ebay but perhaps it will give me other inspiration. Thanks!

For all of you struggling with messy, cluttered homes. You can do it! Find whatever motivates you and do it! The kids have really started coming around and they are really learning to put their own things away and to put things where they belong because they too aren't overwhelmed as much anymore! Yeah!

[Em T]

postage rates

I sell mostly books on ebay & the prices have increased about .50 for an average sized book. What really took a hit was international sales. Since there is no more option for surface rate the alternatives are air or global priority which can be pricey.

Remember, there are still flat rate boxes which go by however much you can stuff in them, not weight, so those are good for clothes, linens & things like that.

Here is another trick I learned online that is specific but very clever: when you notice your underwear is on its last legs, buy new & set the old aside. Next time you travel take it alone & toss it at the end of each day, coming home with a lighter suitcase & less laundry to do.

Have found more stuff to add to the new but unused toiletries bag & have a taker & backup for the purse/backpack to be picked up by noon today.

[soladeo]

EM t What a great idea for the underwear- we're going to our MIL's soon, and I don't have any underwear on its last leg right now, plus I think my MIL would start why all this underwear was in her trash!: But, for future travels, I will definitely use this idea.

With the resurrection of this thread, I've become inspired to restart FlyLadies. Last time I skipped the baby steps, didn't get what the emails were about, etc, and quit. This time I'll start from the beginning and follow her directions to the tee (except the bleach in the sink--maybe lemon juice and baking soda??? Not sure). I have nothing to lose. Our house is a disaster area, and I'm tired of shoveling crap (not literally, you know) and never get anywhere. Instead of cleaning more, I'm going to try to clean and declutter SMARTER, and do the things I've been wanting and needing to do-like play with my son more, do yoga on a regular basis, and work on my songs. There-I have motivation. I don't do these things on a regular basis (well, I do play with my son, just not as much as I would like), because I feel guilty for not keeping the house up, but then I'm so overwhelmed that I end up doing nothing. Today- I'm a FLYBABY, and I intend to keep going.

[MommyErin]

Originally Posted by BornInSeptember

What are your favorite sayings and ideas that really help you keep a simple- declutered house?

I have a sign on my fridge (it was part of a flyer from Half Price Books) that says "It's Good to Let Go". Every time I walk through the kitchen, I see it, and it reminds me to let go of what I don't need or love.

I went through tonight and read the whole thread. I had been slacking lately and it was just the motivation I needed to get back at it.

Oddly enough, I just found out last night that my house is 500 sq. ft. smaller than I originally thought. Makes me want to clear out MORE!!

[Em T]

Soladeo, good for you. I started yesterday with a plan to do modified deep cleaning in one room Tuesday-Friday. So far I've done the foyer & living room. Tomorrow will do the kitchen & the day after the back porch & bathroom. Then am hoping dh will help with the bedroom or this one, which has tv, computers, his clothes, a lot of books, etc.

Things that help me are making some kind of list,seeing it on paper helps motivate me. This sounds dumb but I've just started wearing a bib apron. It's very annoying to have to stop mid-day & change shirts before running errands because I got a spot of crud right on the front of my clothes. Breaking up long tasks to get a drink, check e-mail or go outside briefly every hour-90 minutes or so. Doing whatever dinner prep is possible in the morning before I start to run out of steam.

Good luck!

[Be Here]

In Peter Walsh's book "It's All Too Much", he writes, "The space you have is the space you have." This was a wake-up call for me as I was trying to make my space fit my stuff when I should have been making my stuff fit my space.

[marieangela]

I've been collecting tips on this thread and I've been trying to formulate a plan of attack for my house, but I can't get past what to do with the boys while I clean/declutter. I can sometimes get my four year old on board and he'll help out for a little while before he gets tired of it and starts asking me to play hide and seek. My 21 month old is just a tornado tearing the house apart faster than I can pick things up. When I get started at night after they go to bed, I can get a certain amount done. I also like "me" (reading and/or computer) time after they go to bed and can usually only shower after they go to bed. My 21 month old wakes up many times a night to nurse and I really shouldn't stay up too late after he goes to bed, as I'm exhausted already. I may have mentioned all of this before, and if so forgive me. But how do people find time to get anything done? I guess I should mention that my dh is a chef and works pretty much all the time. So, I'm basically on my own with the boys.

[Em T]

Can you contain the 21 month old at least for short periods to give you some time? Like in a high chair with little cars or crayons & paper? That way he wouldn't be Destructosaurus while you made strides in another room. Or trade off having a friend watch them for a couple of hours & you do the same for her sometime?

[soladeo]

Success!!

I finally organized my ds' (2 1/2 years) playroom! It was a DISASTER. In fact, before I got started, ds said, "This is a mess, let's clean up." Oh wow. I used containers and shelves I already had, and organized it by centers, which is what preschools, daycares (I think) and kindergartens do. He has an art center, car and trains center, blocks center, etc. The things that make the most "mess" or that he likes leaving up (racetrack, little people) are in the corners. I also created a "tent/car/cave" with blankets, chairs, and our ironing board (what else do I use it for ) During parts of the day, if we have been playing down there, we take time to pick up, except of course, that stuff which is a continuing play experience-like a town he's set up.

[momazon4]

Sounds like everybody is making headway, too! Yay!

My friend came yesterdaya and we put in 11 HOURS!!!! Dad's stocktrailer is sitting in the yard and we'll fill that baby up! My friend helped move the stuff I can't and painted the bathroom. I'm just so happy that I started!

[Nunny]

I've been lurking here for weeks trying to read all these posts and I"m finally to the end. It's helped so much. I put a list up of all the things that need to be done in each room and just do one per day. How nice to not be burdened w hours in each room! thanks to all of you.
N

[ColoradoMama]

Okay, it took three days, but I finally finished this thread. Whew! I'm glad it was resurrected! I've found that now that I am mostly decluttered, I'll lay in bed and think of something that I no longer use that I should declutter. It really, really bugs me until I take it to Goodwill!

[wendygrace]

We are cleaning out the garage today and boy do we have a ton of garbage to throw out. I also have a little pile going to the garage sale on the 7th. Yeah! Dh is at half price books selling some books right now "taking a break". It feels so good to get rid of things!

[KayleeZoo]

Subbing, because I need this thread!

Calicokatt, your first post is amazing and has given me lots to think about. Thank you for your words.

I'm a SAHM of 3 kids: 7, 4, and 2. Plus 2 indoor dogs and 2 indoor cats, birds and fish. Our home is 2700+ sf, and we have too much stuff and I realize that I'm lazy about housekeeping, thanks to Calicokatt. I've been working hard to declutter and keep things picked up, but it's so easy to get overwhelmed, LAZY, and blame the kids. I haven't read the whole thread yet, but am anxious to see what you ladies have to share.

[Em T]

KayleeZoo, try setting your timer for 15 minutes & working as hard as you can at picking up/decluttering. When you see how much can be accomplished in even a small amount of time when you're focused it can be inspiring. Also, with kids the ages of yours, use the carrot: "We can go to the park when the kitchen is clean/living room picked up/bathroom tidied/whatever." Then they have an incentive to help or at least stay out of your way till a particular job is done.

[KayleeZoo]

Em T, the timer is a great idea- I was doing Flylady for awhile, and was using my timer; it really helps with that overwhelmed feeling. My girls (the 7 and 4 yo) are good about leaving me alone when I need to clean, etc. but my 2yo DS is very high needs, in every sense of the phrase. The child is into everything, and very destructive, impossible to re-direct, etc. Naptime is only 1.5hrs and he gets up at 5:30 every morning : so the real challenge comes when I'm trying to get stuff cleaned/decluttered and he's awake, because he makes it just impossible. My mom watches them for me pretty regularly when I have appointments, etc. but she won't watch them when I have housework, etc (she only had 1 child and thinks that I've made my own bed by having 3 very close together and now I need to pay the consequences, if you kwim ) But I'm working doggedly on getting it done.

If I wouldn't let things get out of hand, it wouldn't be so hard to get stuff back into shape with DS around. I need to get my act together!!

[Em T]

KayleeZoo, can you schedule a couple of hours on a weekend & get their dad to corral the little wild man while you make some serious inroads? That might help a lot, then see what you can do to make it harder for him to mess up indoors: spend as much time as you can playing outside, let him stand on a chair at the sink "washing" pots & lids while you're doing other things in the kitchen, clean the bathroom while he's bathing, etc.

[Aeress]

I just re-read this thread for inspiration.

My goal was to find the beautiful table that I found at antique store and use it more. I am almost done. I am working on creating a place for everything, so it is taking me just a little longer than I planned.

Next is the desk and art area.

It sure feels good to find a home for things