Routines and Housework
Ok, so I have kids, dogs, cats, a husband, we both work fulltime blah blah blah... we're fairly busy people. So how is it I manage to find so much time to spend on the internet? Most of the time I feel like I just don't have enough hours in the day to accomplish all I'd like to. My housework is always behind, there is always grooming to be done, and I never really get out to go to a movie or out for dinner etc. I don't mind not going out, I don't really enjoy those things so I don't really think I'm missing much there. Now my house is not usually a pigsty, the essentials get done everyday, dishes and laundry, floors, counters, tables etc. Dusting has fallen by the wayside, I think I dusted in early January, and my daughter has done it once or twice since then. I'm not a neat freak in the sense everything has to be perfect, that's just not realistic with kids and dogs, and my hubby is the worst slob of all. LOL However, it DOES drive me nuts when stuff just seems to pile up. Little things that should've been done but weren't tend to turn into huge things as they get left longer. I look around sometimes and don't know where to start, so I say to heck with it, and get back on the computer! LOL My desk is buried, the floors need to be swept and washed, dusting needs to be done, I have most of the laundry washed and dried, but I am awful for just letting it pile up in baskets so right now I think I have 6 loads of clean laundry piled up in my room waiting to be folded and put away. 
I have to go out sometime today to drop a book off at the library, buy stamps. I have to go to the Horse And Hound and get dog food, dog treats, cat food, cat litter, and guinea pig food and shavings. I have to get a few things at the grocery store, and a new hinge for a kitchen cupboard. All of that is going to take at least an hour because I cannot go into the pet supply store without looking at every cute toy or neat treat, or new collars and leashes that I've already seen a hundred times. I also think the reason I am ignoring the housework is because I know that if I do one thing I have to do EVERYTHING, so if I know I won't have time to do more than one or two things, I tend to put it off until I do. That times never comes anymore. LOL Sky needs her back legs groomed, she loves romping in 3 foot snowdrifts, so she gets matted on her legs and belly. Dancer needs to be all groomed out and pretty to go for her "romatic holiday" next weekend...LOL.... and I also have people waiting for me to complete websites. My cousin also wants me to scan a bunch of old photos, clean them up and burn them to a disc for her today.... Not to mention handling classes and a dog show next weekend. Anyway, my point to this post, aside from getting to whine a bit, is how do you all manage? How do you balance the busy family lifestyle, whether you have kids or not, whether you work outside of the home or not, what routines do you find helpful to make your day go smoother and eliminate some of the stress that goes with the thought "How am I going to get all of this done?!" I feel like I'm burning out a bit. I'm not sure if I've gotten into a bad habit of being online all the time that I am home, and therefore not getting things done around the house, or if I'm on the computer *because* I feel like I can't keep up with everything else.... LOL Does any of this make any sense? |
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Good to know that I'm not the only one who gets overwhelmed. I don't have any suggestions as I do the same exact thing. (This internet is a sneaky little devil  stealing my time.) I mean I still have stuff in boxes from my move...  Maybe someone else can help... |
| Wow Stace, you tired ME out!!! Dustbuster is my savior...and Brian being gone every third day...I can pick up and clean while he is at work... |
| Oh you are so not alone!!!
With my dad being in and out of the hospital and taking care of my mom I've only been home a few days in the last six weeks. As soon as I get home I check my e-mail and come right to the forum to seen what I've missed or if anybody is chatting!!!!!!! It is important to have some kind of stress relief. If it is the computer provides that, then go for it. My priorities are my family and friends. Dust, laundry and other chores are very patient and will be waiting for me when I'm ready. |
| welcome to my life
businessto run house to clean dog to groom and walk,animals to feed and a 8 month old baby with hyperactivity to look after and cook special food and a hubby with a really bad back but i'm the same every spare min when i could be cleaning or ironing etc if getting my oes fix i think ron need to put a warning on the front page enter at own risk very addictive lol zoe and einy |
| I don't manage!
I've been complaining for months that the house is a mess, but I never seem to have either the energy or the inclination to do anything about it. There is always something more interesting to do - or not to do. I've been working so much these past few months that any spare time is spent sitting on the couch staring at the tv, probably with drool down my chin, LOL! I will admit I haven't dusted in forever let alone really cleaned the floors and it's starting to get to me. Last week I did all the laundry and put it away - except for that last load that never made it out of the dryer, even though I turned the dryer back on several times. I won't admit how many times  Finally, Monday morning, I turned it on again, took the dogs out for walkies, came back, folded the clothes and put them back in the dryer! A brilliant plan, don't you think!
So, now, I think I shall put on some disco at a loud enough volume so the neighbors can hear it and spend 20 minutes on housework. I can deal with 20 minutes and if it doesn't get done in that 20 minutes, oh well. So there.  |
| Dusting.........that's why I got a sheepdog. She helps her mommy with the mopping and dusting. If I could only get her to pick up her toys.......
Sometimes if I am reading a really good book, I make myself get up and clean one entire room between chapters. This seems to help me focus on each room instead of walking around doing things here and there. Maybe you could try making yourself do something before logging on each time. I know I'm weird, but give it a try |
| I used to feel overwhelmed. Lately I think there's something wrong with me because I don't have enough to do. I'm sure it has to do with the fact that work is SO BORING. I don't have anything to do, thus more time to chat with all of you and not as tired when I get home. Also, Steve is VERY helpful around the house and does many things without me asking. |
| Thanks for the replies... nice to know it's not just me...lol....
Have any of you looked at flylady.com? I have signed up for it twice now in the last couple of years, and each time I am enthusiastic about it at first, and try to follow the "baby step" tips for getting the house back in order, but I always end up falling off the "fly" wagon after a few days. *shrug* Anyway, I did do the dishes, and then went out to the library, convenience store for stamps, mailed some stuff, went to get my daughter some school supplies, and went to the Horse & Hound for pet stuff. I got a big bag of Nutro Natural Choice for the dogs (I've never tried this food before, I hope they like it!) along with all the other stuff I needed in there. I love going in the Horse & Hound.... I love looking at all of it, for dogs, cats, horses, whatever.... I wish I could have a farm! LOL |
| What's this? A request to shut down the forum for spring cleaning? |
| Hey - that went by FAST!
I'm going for another 20 mintues. The dogs are looking at me like I'm insane . . . |
Ron wrote: What's this? A request to shut down the forum for spring cleaning?
*GASP!!!* What a horrible thought!!!  |
| from the cleaning or the disco music? |
| Stacey,
First off stop trying to be super Mom. I had 4 children and also took care of 3 of my grandchildren. I keep a nice home ( not perfect) and did work full time at a job that many times took it home in my mind at night. I always cook a good meal at night, Made breakfast in the morning for hubby and made his lunch too. You look at your day as so much work!!! CALM DOWN. No one ever died from dust or house work that did not get done. Here are some of the things I have learned. Your children need to pick up their own thing everyday!! Go through your home with them and my rule was PICK UP MR.OBVIOUS any thing out of place, you will be sirprised at how clean and neat your home will look. While doing laundry I try and cook a meal that I can freeze for another busy night. Cook meals for more than one night. ( I have been on chatt and your there and not have made a thing and its 7:30.) Easy to take out something in the freezer and pop it in the oven. Your children can clean their own rooms. Make sure your kitchen is cleaned up at night before bed. Nothing worse to waking to dishes in the sink 
don't know if you have a dish washer. but run it at night and have your daughter put the clean away. If you don't she needs to help you at night. Even help cook with you. And the boys too. They need to learn. When you can buy in bulk. Saves time for running to the store. Again many time you are on at night and say you need to go to the store. I buy dog food once a month! A swifter is a great tool for dusting tops and floors ( 2 different kinds) saves so much time. Best one is SET PRIORITES make a list of to do and as you do them cross them off. Always feels good to put that line through one of them. Start a new list each day adding what you don't get done the day before. These are some of what I have done and still do. There are tricks, you don't need to dust vacume and wash floors everyday. Do what needs to be done, don't think about the whole picture. You will drive your self crazy. Hope this helps some. SIGNED NOT A SUPER MOM Deana |
| Probably the disco, LOL. Unfortunately for them, it's the energy in the disco music, gets me going. Yeah, okay, I actually like it. My name is Jil and I like disco!
I forgot how much windex it takes to clean a front window that's at dog height.
I just did 40 minutes of cleaning and I can see a difference in some spots. Now, if I could just get the table cleaned off . . . and the chair that I threw everything on that was just in my way. I guess that's next. Then I'll treat myself to a Tagalong. Or two. Ya gotta love Girl Scout Cookie season! |
Housework  ? Who does Housework
I have a plaque on my wall, it's been there for 27 years (different walls but always there)........ Cooking and Cleaning can wait till tomorrow For babies grow up, we learn to our sorrow. So quiet down cob webs, dust go to sleep I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep. Over the years I've just changed babies to toddlers to teens to puppies to maybe someday if I'm lucky I'll be say GRANDBABIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
| Deana, those are lots of great suggestions....
My kids used to be good about picking up their own things, but I think because I have been ignoring it lately, they seem to think they can leave stuff everywhere. Definitely need to get at them about that again.... it makes a huge difference. They do help out, they each have chores that they are supposed to do, and for the most part, they do them. They clean up the kitchen every night after supper, one washes dishes, one dries and puts away, and one sweeps and wipes counters, table, and stove etc. We do have a dishwasher, but we haven't been able to use it much since we moved here because there just isn't enough water pressure for it in the kitchen. Anyway, in regards to doing meals in advance... I keep wanting to do that... but when I usually work 6 days a week, the last thing I want to do on my day off is cook all day. I hate cooking. LOL I can't just freeze leftovers either, with 6 people there are never any leftovers of anything. LOL With 3 of the kids being 15, 14 and 13, they seem to eat CONSTANTLY! Bottomless pits the lot of them....
As to the kids rooms, I don't clean their rooms. I almost never even go upstairs, so they can be a total write off and I wouldn't know. LOL I'd rather not know actually.....lol..... You know, I do have a crock pot, and I've often thought it would be nice to start something in that many days and just leave it while I'm at work. I only use it when I'm home though, I worry too much about a fire or something if I leave anything on when I'm not home. Maybe if I just spent one weekend cooking things like chili, lasagna, stew, roasts, casseroles etc I could freeze enough for a couple of weeks even? That would be nice to come home from work and throw something in the oven, then relax for a bit without feeling guilty for not doing anything...lol... |
| Well Stacey you seem to know what can be done now DO IT LOL. Crockpot is great idea. I know how you feel but 2 of my daughters use them many times a week. As for cooking one day YOU GOT IT. I cook on all four burners at one time. IE, chili, chicken soup, stew, sauce, or some pasta dish. use your oven, pot roast, a turkey, (no dressing. good to make soup with carcass. sandwiches, hot turkey sandwiches ect.
but this is only one part of what you need to do. Make that list and stick to it. Even make time for computer time here. Its worth the try
Good luck  |
Willowsprite, you live my life 
A clean house is highly over-rated..... Fortunately my hubby is the cook and grocery shopper, but I do the clean-up and the garbage detail
Three weeks ago we cleared off the top shelf of the coat closet and bought 5 tupperware buckets that we put up there. They are all labeled with each of our names (we are 5 people). Anything we find laying around goes in the buckets. It has worked wonders! The cries of "Mom..where is my ...?" have diminished down to none and the stuff that used to be laying around now has a home. I have a large laundry basket in the upstairs hallway and in the bathroom. Those are the only clothes that I wash. If it doesn't get into a basket, it doesn't get washed. I put a smaller laundry basket on the floor in the hallway and all the clean, folded socks go in there and the 4 males I live with can grab their own as they need them. As for the internet time, I try to time myself so I go online every 2 hours, or whatever the day determines. But some kind of time limit is set. And Saturday mornings are put aside for housework. Whatever gets done gets done, and whatever is left will get done the following week. |
| I know exactly how you feel. I bought this house in August. It's an old house and there are so many things I need to do to it. When the weather was warm I was more motivated I refinished the kitchen cabinets, and painted. Then I started on the master bedroom. I had to rip up the carpet, and sand the floor. Then I painted the floor because I couldn't decide on ceramic tile or laminate flooring. I still haven't put in the baseboards, and the window seat is half finished. I haven't finished the trim in the kitchen either. The leaves in the yard are half raked. Basically I am surrounded by a bunch of half finished jobs, and each weekend I start out with really good intentions, but spend most of the time on the computer. |
| My mom used to have a plaque saying: " Clean Enough to be Healthy; Dirty enough to be Happy." I've adopted the motto. |
| Oh Stacey - my kindred spirit!
I am totally with you on the wash - I can wash and dry it, but for some odd reason sometimes the folding gets away from me. I have that voice in my head, If you do some you have to do it all. Well, sometimes you just have to quiet that voice. You can actully clean the floors in the kitchen without tearing apart the stove to thoroughly clean it too. Now I know how that sounds, but it can be done. You have to just tell yourself it is ok to do an area one bit at a time. If you spend 15-20 minutes doing one single thing a few times a day you could be sqeaky clean in a couple weeks! Then you just have to start over again. I do most of my stuff by making lists. The problem isn't that it is hard to keep after, the problem is, it is so easy not to keep after. I occasionally find myself in a rut, not wanting to live with all the clutter and crust, but procrastinating and not doing the work. It all works out in the end, it always does. The job doesn't really get that much bigger if you let it go a while. The same jobs have to be done, dusting, mopping, vacuuming, putting things away, changing bed clothes, washing. And you will eventually get caught up. Don't get down on yourself. It happens, take a breath. If worst comes to worst, ask for extra help from your husband and children. If you tell them how unhappy being behind makes you, I bet they'd pitch in. Then all you have to do is keep up. Keeping up is much easier than catching up. I had to laugh when I read your OP, cause you sound SO much like me. Some things are universal! Shellie |
| LOL Shellie....
I make lists too, all the time....lol.... tons of lists that get lost, ignored and thrown out (eventually!) LOL |
| I do the housework when Paul is gone and fattie is laying on the couch. Lately Paul has been a big help, he makes the bed , empties the dishwasher, loads the dishwasher and organized the tupperware cupboard. (That was a job in itself). But that will wear off it time, I'm sure. I've come to the conclusion, train them!!!! |
| It has made me chuckle reading all of your posts, i do exactly the same.
Thing is, i have a really good clear out once a week or so and my home will be spotless-but give it a few hours and it looks like it hasn't been tidied or cleaned for weeks! Sigh. I don't ever want to be a "clean freak", you know when you go to houses and it's so uptight, and all they do is tidy constantly. But i look around me now and the cushions and sofa is a mess, there are books and toys all over the floor, clothes, shoes and other bits and pieces-and what am i doing? On the computer! Hee hee I have got a tip though that works for me. I go through phases where i'll do it for a couple of weeks and my house will be great, then i don't and chaos reigns again! Anyway all i do is set an alarm, i use my mobile phone, for 5 minutes and then i have a race to finish that room before the alarm goes off! I don't always finish the room but it keeps it under control and it's great when you feel overwhelmed by it all. In fact i'm gonna get my butt off the computer now and do it! Hope this helps someone. |
| Cleaning is major conflict in our home. I need everything clean, but I don't mind some clutter. You know, mail on the kitchen counter. Clean laundry folded, but left on the dryer. You know. I have a cleaning woman (you may remember me talking about Sharon) every other week. She does the deep cleaning. I do quick vacuums, dusting and floor touch up in between. Oh yea..the TOILETS HAVE TO BE CLEANED TWICE A WEEK, in my world. And the linens changed twice a week. But...I really don't mind clutter! If you walk in my house, it does not look like a magazine house. Now for the conflict. Tony (and I don't believe I am kidding about this) has OCD. He is a total clean freak. He has been know to throw out piles of mail, magazines, hangers in the laundry room waitiing to be used. He can't tolerate any clutter. All joking aside, it is a big sourse of conflict for us. I really don't care that much, and he hates that! I work 1 full time job, 1 part-time job. I go to the gym. I cook a real dinner every, single night. I care for 3 large dogs, 2 elderly cats. I try to see my girlfriends fairly often. And of course be there for my kids (who are adults). My life is full! Its too full to worry about a pile a mail, or a coat tossed on the living room chair!!!!!!!!!!!  Ok...I've had my say. I feel much better. Thank you for listening. (Getting off soap box, and heading for exit)  |
I like to make a nice long list and then decide NONE of those things actually need doing. Wooo! Look at all those things I'm not going to waste my time on! Then I go for a nice walk with Ru or just stay in bed  |
debcram wrote: Now for the conflict. Tony (and I don't believe I am kidding about this) has OCD. He is a total clean freak. He has been know to throw out piles of mail, magazines, hangers in the laundry room waitiing to be used. Well Dan't not a clean freak - but he has been known to through out all of the above - because he doesn't see any use for it. My theory is its not OCD its more self centered behavior. He never throws out anything he left around. |
| I hate housework. I clean the kitchen floor every other day, the work tops and the bathroom. I sometimes leave my vacuum cleaner out and the polish and duster on the dresser. Then if anyone was to walk in they would think I am just about to clean!! |
KTB wrote: I hate housework. I clean the kitchen floor every other day, the work tops and the bathroom. I sometimes leave my vacuum cleaner out and the polish and duster on the dresser. Then if anyone was to walk in they would think I am just about to clean!!
Good idea - I leave mine out mostly so I can grab and actually do some cleaning if I have some down time. I like yours better. |
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