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Pardon the mess (or not?) WWYD
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ShakleeMom




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Sep 16 2009, 7:37 pm
I get a lot of pop-in visits... today 2 people came to my house, one to pick something up, one to drop something off. Everyone stays to schmooze, this is the extent of my social life. Well, the cleaning lady bailed on me yesterday but swore she'll make it up to me today. So I cooked my brains out yesterday and then today... seriously, EVERY pot and EVERY bowl I own is on the counter, and the floor has black sticky streaks on it... lego in the dining room and 2 piles of clothes one for trying on and one for alterations.... the house is like a hurricane horror story.

So when someone walks in, I used to be self conscious in the past and always say the classic "Oh please ignore the mess"... today all I did was laugh it off.

Am I coming to a pig-point of no return? am I really that thick skinned? What is happening to me?!?
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ra_mom




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Sep 16 2009, 7:44 pm
No your not! I am trying to become like that.
I still say very grandly "welcome to our hectic mess", but I am trying to get to the point where I don't feel like I have to say anything.
Will let you know when I have reached your level Smile
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mummiedearest




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Sep 16 2009, 7:44 pm
I think you have a healthy outlook on housework. you'll get to it when you can, but until then, ignore the mess. better than getting irritable every time the living room is a disaster zone...
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Raisin




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Sep 16 2009, 7:47 pm
even with the cleaning lady around - she cleans, I mess. cooking is messy! Unless you are one of those people who who can only cook one thing at a time.
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ShakleeMom




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Sep 16 2009, 7:49 pm
Raisin wrote:
she cleans, I mess. cooking is messy!


Yep, that's me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have a cooking problem, I think by now it's borderline compulsion. I can't stop cooking, love it... never stop until it's time to welcome the Shabbos... so I pull out everything I own and let Yolanda do the rest.
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Ronit




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Sep 16 2009, 7:52 pm
I think it's a great thing to be so relaxed & chilled about it to the extent that you aren't self conscious!

On the other hand I can't stand a mess.... & I'd probaly have a nervous breakdown before my house gets really messy for me to be terribly embarrased.

Not that e/t is always in place & clean, but it drives me nuts when it isn't.
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PinkFridge




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Sep 16 2009, 8:23 pm
I usually tell people that it takes me an hour of straightening up to get to the point where I ask people to please excuse the mess ;-)
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ShakleeMom




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Sep 16 2009, 8:44 pm
fayge wrote:
I usually tell people that it takes me an hour of straightening up to get to the point where I ask people to please excuse the mess ;-)


Oh, you're being tough on yourself!
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Shalshelet




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Sep 16 2009, 11:34 pm
When the whole house overwhelms me, I like to do a flylady shuffle. I'll set a timer for 10 or 15 minutes and pick one room. I dash around putting things back in their place, or into the room they belong in. When I get to the other rooms, I end up putting that stuff away during that room's shuffle. When the timer dings, I stop and (even sometimes take a short break before I) move on to the next room. By the time I'm finished, I feel wayyyyy better.
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pobody's nerfect




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Sep 17 2009, 12:07 am
similar to shalshelet, I'll tell myself I need to put away 15 items before I can do something I want to do, like start cooking or go online. it really helps!
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grin




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Sep 17 2009, 1:55 am
Shalshelet wrote:
When the whole house overwhelms me, I like to do a flylady shuffle. I'll set a timer for 10 or 15 minutes and pick one room. I dash around putting things back in their place, or into the room they belong in. When I get to the other rooms, I end up putting that stuff away during that room's shuffle. When the timer dings, I stop and (even sometimes take a short break before I) move on to the next room. By the time I'm finished, I feel wayyyyy better.
that's a great idea! putting things into a general pile in each room they belong in sounds much more time-effective than putting each one in its place, all at once. I'll have to incorporate this into my routine. thanks
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pinktichel




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Sep 17 2009, 4:48 am
My question is always: Why do I bother cleaning up?
I have an issue... If my house is messy, I'm a mess and can't function. I spend all day (not exaggerating) straightening up, vacuuming and putting toys away. I can't stand tripping on legos, crushing toys beneath me as I try and cook, etc. Problem is, before I turn around, there's stuff all over again! I know I have to let kids be kids, but my nerves just can't take it.

Besides, like Shaklee, I often have ppl just stopping by and I'm paranoid that they'll come into a bomb site. I had one horrific experience (I was at the beginning of a pregnancy and insanely sick. I wasn't functioning and everything got out of hand. Think Shabbos dishes all over on Sunday night, every single toy out, laundry piled up like you can't imagine, etc.) and I'm still traumatized by it. I swore I will never let that happen again.
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realeez




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Sep 17 2009, 8:02 am
ShakleeMom wrote:
So when someone walks in, I used to be self conscious in the past and always say the classic "Oh please ignore the mess"... today all I did was laugh it off.


I realized I was saying that too often when my friend asked my then 3-year-old if she could see his room and he said "No, it's a big mess today!"
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ShakleeMom




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Sep 17 2009, 8:42 am
Just an added note, I'm housekeeping disabled since bith, which usually also comes with a overcooking disorder. I'm working on it ... but flylady will have to wait her turn.
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chocolate moose




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Sep 17 2009, 10:55 am
If ppl drop by unannounced, they deserve whtever they get.
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Shalshelet




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Sep 17 2009, 11:59 am
pinktichel wrote:
My question is always: Why do I bother cleaning up?
I have an issue... If my house is messy, I'm a mess and can't function. I spend all day (not exaggerating) straightening up, vacuuming and putting toys away. I can't stand tripping on legos, crushing toys beneath me as I try and cook, etc. Problem is, before I turn around, there's stuff all over again! I know I have to let kids be kids, but my nerves just can't take it.

Besides, like Shaklee, I often have ppl just stopping by and I'm paranoid that they'll come into a bomb site. I had one horrific experience (I was at the beginning of a pregnancy and insanely sick. I wasn't functioning and everything got out of hand. Think Shabbos dishes all over on Sunday night, every single toy out, laundry piled up like you can't imagine, etc.) and I'm still traumatized by it. I swore I will never let that happen again.


Pinktichel, it looks like you answered your own question. (I'm the same way too.) If the space around me is not organized enough, I literally can't function optimally. But don't be a slave to it. Do you have designated rooms for the kids to play with their toys, games, etc. ? Do they have too many toys? Also, pick up the toys once or twice a day, when the kids are sleeping/napping - it might help, or if they're older, have a "clean-up party time, where they help you clean up - will help show them responsibility too.

b'hatzlacha, and check out flylady.com - she breaks things down into manageable chunks so its a lot easier and you can actually accomplish stuff!
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ra_mom




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Sep 17 2009, 12:27 pm
ShakleeMom wrote:
Just an added note, I'm housekeeping disabled since bith, which usually also comes with a overcooking disorder. I'm working on it ... but flylady will have to wait her turn.

Hey, I didn't realized that there were other people out there like me!
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moonmama




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Sep 23 2009, 4:08 pm
Some days my house is as you describe, and some days it is clean and orderly, and then again as you described and then again orderly. When it's horrifically messy and I start to feel the panic I tell myself "I'll get to it eventually" and usually eventually I do. After a birth or something like that sometimes a little extra help is needed...
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supermama2




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Sep 23 2009, 5:19 pm
I think your take on the house mess is fine. Sheesh..is one supposed to have a spotless house 24/7!? At least you have cleaning help fcol! 8)
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pinktichel




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Sep 23 2009, 5:55 pm
Shalshelet wrote:
pinktichel wrote:
My question is always: Why do I bother cleaning up?
I have an issue... If my house is messy, I'm a mess and can't function. I spend all day (not exaggerating) straightening up, vacuuming and putting toys away. I can't stand tripping on legos, crushing toys beneath me as I try and cook, etc. Problem is, before I turn around, there's stuff all over again! I know I have to let kids be kids, but my nerves just can't take it.

Besides, like Shaklee, I often have ppl just stopping by and I'm paranoid that they'll come into a bomb site. I had one horrific experience (I was at the beginning of a pregnancy and insanely sick. I wasn't functioning and everything got out of hand. Think Shabbos dishes all over on Sunday night, every single toy out, laundry piled up like you can't imagine, etc.) and I'm still traumatized by it. I swore I will never let that happen again.


Pinktichel, it looks like you answered your own question. (I'm the same way too.) If the space around me is not organized enough, I literally can't function optimally. But don't be a slave to it. Do you have designated rooms for the kids to play with their toys, games, etc. ? Do they have too many toys? Also, pick up the toys once or twice a day, when the kids are sleeping/napping - it might help, or if they're older, have a "clean-up party time, where they help you clean up - will help show them responsibility too.

b'hatzlacha, and check out flylady.com - she breaks things down into manageable chunks so its a lot easier and you can actually accomplish stuff!


I have a toy room, but it's attached to the kitchen and dining room. The toys end up mainly in the kitchen (I've crushed a good number of small toys under foot!) and small amounts in the DR too. They manage to travel to the bedrooms and hallway as well. I try to keep the bedroom doors closed to prevent that, but it still happens.

I do clean up when my younger one is napping, but my older one is home and awake all day, so she's constantly making a mess. I do get them to help clean up, but I'm still bending down and picking things up all the time.

I did remove things from the top of her bookcase because DD discovered that she could pull up one of her small chairs and then reach for the pegs, lg threading beads, etc. which made the room even more of a disaster! I've also tried to limit my vacuuming to 2x a day at most.

I think I need a robot to just bend down, pick things up and put them in the appropriate places. I would pay big bucks for one of those! Truth is, I love cleaning (I would love to be a cleaning woman. embarrassed ) Honestly, there's no greater pleasure than cleaning a toilet.... It felt so good to get rid of cobwebs in the corners of my hallway today and scrub DD's bedroom.There are so many things I want to reorganize and clean but but bh with my kids and more, I just don't have the energy/time in the day to do it. Sad
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