I need a spot...I need motivation!

[ValiantJoy07]

this house is a disaster.

DH has been doing a lot but there is just so much that hasn't been happening because I've been sick the last...5 weeks? I need to write a To Do list and start checking things off.

Bedrooms

1. Go through kids laundry and cull out clothing that is just getting pulled out over and over but not being worn.
2. sort and put away mount laundry in my bedroom.
3. Replace bathroom mats with clean ones
4. cull my dresser of clothing I won't be wearing for the next year.

5. Run more laundry through and put away.

1st Floor

1. Have DH bring vacuum down stairs and have kids vacuum LR/DR.
2. set out school stuff for the week.
3.Have DH clean stove top and scrub counters.
4. Sweep kitchen floor.


Family Room
1. Kids clean up the chaos explosion of stuffies, tinker toys, blankets and doll stuff.

[Earthmummy07]

You can do it Baby steps and be gentle with yourself

This week I had to pull 3 people in to come help dig my house out of the blackhole that first tri had left us in.

[mamacat]

When my kids were little it helped to assign specific tasks to them.Like give one a garbage bag and pick up paper trash (if this is an issue) or when cleaning up toys have one do a finding game and find all the tinker toys and of course tons of praise after those were all found and one pick up all legos or whatever rather than just a big mass toy mess.

[Aerynne]

Would you find decorating for Valentines Day motivating? Like if you get a certain room looking good, you can reward yourself by putting up some cute stuff?

[momyshaver]

Especially in the first trimester but in the childbearing years in general, just baby steps. I often held the motto to "just do the next thing". So I would feel tired, sick whatever BUT once I got up and moving to do just one thing, anything really, I often could go to the next thing (think give a mom a muffin ) but if I could only do 1 thing or 15 minutes, it really was progress and it made me feel so much better. I do have a triage of things when I am feeling like that... dishes, meal prep or kitchen stuff, laundry, picking up obvious clutter. I involve the children. If I get really ambitious we tackle the bathroom but honestly... triage, lol

[mamacat]

For bathroom it helps me to do daily swishes with the toilet brush and hand soap and use wipes or a wet towel around sink area and then do things like floor and tub shower cleans when can rather than wait to do whole bathroom at once

[ValiantJoy07]

well I didn't much done yesterday...But yesterday I had one of my weird hormone surge days where my nausea sky rockets for no apparent reason.

This morning is already better.

Today my focus is laundry. I can sort for a few minutes at a time. I can put stuff away for a few minutes at a time.

and changing the bathroom mats. That really is just a matter of DOING it.

I already rounded up all the disgusting tea towels that were sitting on the counters and took them up to the laundry room.

The kids and DH cleaned the family room yesterday.

[mamacat]

Can yu enlist kids to gather up dirty bathmats and put ut the clean? They are also usually good at helping to sort laundry however would help you the most.It helps me to make piles for each person after folding.Maybe kids could help by putting things like socks and underwear in peoples drawers

[ValiantJoy07]

Originally Posted by ValiantJoy07

this house is a disaster.

DH has been doing a lot but there is just so much that hasn't been happening because I've been sick the last...5 weeks? I need to write a To Do list and start checking things off.

Bedrooms

1. Go through kids laundry and cull out clothing that is just getting pulled out over and over but not being worn.
2. sort and put away mount laundry in my bedroom.
3. Replace bathroom mats with clean ones.
4. cull my dresser of clothing I won't be wearing for the next year.

5. Run more laundry through and put away.

-I started another load. I put away a giant pile of linens on the rocking chair. :check

1st Floor

1. Have DH bring vacuum down stairs and have kids vacuum LR/DR.
2. set out school stuff for the week.
3.Have DH clean stove top and scrub counters.
4. Sweep kitchen floor.


Family Room
1. Kids clean up the chaos explosion of stuffies, tinker toys, blankets and doll stuff.

Well I *thought* they cleaned up the family room that is what I was told last night. Apparently (and I'm not sure WHY because DH is usually great at this sort of thing all I can think is that he didn't really help and was distracted- which is life right now he has too many plates spinning). I went down to the family this morning and there was a 4 foot deep pile of MESS under the stairs in the alcove and toys and STUFF shoved in all the nooks of the room.

I had told the kids yesterday that they could clean up the family room and put their toys AWAY or I could, but if I did it I was putting stuff in a trash bag and they weren't getting it all back. Well I went down this morning and cleaned and I have a large black trash bag full of stuff to go through. We have GOT to get rid of some of this stuff!!! I am losing my mind with the clutter and constant messes every time I turn around. I am all for them playing. I love walking into a room and finding a tea party set up on the mini trampoline... or doll beds made up all over the floor...But when it is this disorganized churned up PILES of stuff you have to wade through? NO.

So that needs to be added to my list: cull toys to some thing more manageable. It's just hard because they do play with all their toys and stuffed animals. They also schlep it all over the house and it becomes this mess that you have to wade through and I can't live like that.

Deep breath.

So
*started a load of laundry
*cleared dinning room table
*switched bath mats and "mopped" bathroom floor.
*put linens away.
*cleaned family room and tidied up living room

My goals for the rest of the day:
1. have DH bring vacuum downstairs (it is really heavy)
2. 2 loads of laundry
3. Mount laundry off of my bed (put away).

[mamacat]

Sometimes it works to have some of the toys in big plastic bins and rotate them.Also helps if can get into routine of no new thing comes out until teaset is put back away type thing

[mummy2boys]

I am a big "list" person and I think your list looks good.....and you've made a good start

[ValiantJoy07]

My MW is coming this morning and while she doesn't care, I did want the house to look kind of nice for her first visit. I vacuumed the living room and dining room and kitchen. My mom wiped down the tables and counters for me (they were horrifying).

I cleaned the upstairs bathroom again... and the school stuff is tidied up.

And now I am exhausted.

[RainbowDash]

you can do it! i need to get a list written. being in the house more lately has really made me relize how much clutter there is and that i need to get on it. not sure where to put the clutter, but it needs to get out somehow.

[Dandelion]

Sending some encouragement, prayers and hugs your way

[ValiantJoy07]

Totally CELEBRATING! I got...
* a load of laundry put it in!
*the bathroom floor cleaned up!
*The little potty cleaned!
*The dishwasher loaded and run!
*the counters and tables wiped down! (!!!!!)
*the LR/DR and kitchen floors vacuumed!!
*The Living room picked up/tidied.

That is more than I've gotten done in weeks!

Now taking a little break to sit and rest.

What I would like to tackle by Friday night.

Family room:
I haven't been down there since Monday

I am scared to go down there again.

*Put toys away with kids again.
*Go through trash bag I packed up the other day and put stuff away and donate what is really just causing more messes.

Kids room still need to...
*Cull dressers
*cull some toy/move some things around to reduce clutter.

I might tackle the kids room later this morning...Right now taking a little break.