Family house is a tip

[dulwichgirl2]

We have a cleaner and she is ok save for not moving some furniture! 8.50 an hour. Does everyone pay this much?

[Ruth_Baldock]

oimissus & kitty; We don't have an iron or ironing board either; I tried to straighten a shirt with my hair straighteners but it all went horribley wrong...

[oimissus]

Ruth - pththahahahaaaa! kitty and I were discussing ironing this morning - I bought a Cath Kidston ironing board cover which did encourage me for around 5 minutes before I went back to my slovenly ways. Also, you can't iron whilst watching TV - if I'm watching True Blood I want to enjoy Eric Northman in all his glory, not keep looking down to see if I've singed a cuff. So, Eric wins. I find if I wear clothes that are pre-baby, ie slightly too small, that smoothes out the creases quite well . . .

[kittysailing]

I have an irobot - it's great - sometimes - just for kicks - I stick the dishwasher on, bung a wash in the machine , pop a load in the tumble dryer, whack a casserole in the slow cooker and unleash the i-robot simply to feel like a thoroughly modern Millie - housewife

[Mrs TP]

All v. funny and cheerie!

We affectionately refer to our bedroom as the 'floordrobe'.

[skinofteeth]

Come to think of it, I very rarely iron anything for myself. Or anybody else. Husband does his own shirts if cleaner doesn't...

Pickle/Midivydale/Pebbles - you all sound v sensible indeed (and quite impressive).

Dudley - I agree - train the children up early. Thankfully, my children are very tidy (well, for a 2 year old and 4 year old). Son will not go to bed until he has tidied up his toys. (No idea where he gets that from - pas moi...)

I think the "no junk mail"/"no thank you" signs do help a bit. We've recently lost ours and have a load more junk mail. It is going to be reinstated.

[KatDew]

This thread really rings true for me.

We're generally fairly tidy as a family and not too much in the way of 'mundungus'. However I work and have 3 small people (4 and twins nearly 2) in a fairly small house.

With the best will in the world there is just stuff! there is the random art projects. Odd slippers and socks. That general post pile. Laundry that is drying. Lanudry waiting to be put away..... the list goes on and on.

Our house seemed quietly stylish before kids. Four and a half years later it just seems a bit cluttered and scruffy

[GCOakley]

embrace the chaos is my motto...

and every other saturday i'll take the kids to the park or wherever for whole day and hubby turns up the music, gets himself a beer and cleans the house. he is cheaper and more fun than an i-robot!

[scareyt]

We have just spent a weekend at the inlaws where she produced lunch and dinner for everyone every day (dinner 4 courses with tablecloths and candles) played with her grandson all day long and never seemed to do any tidying or work in her very tidy house! So now feel quite chaotic and incompetent in comparison. It feels like our house is one of those toys where whenever you hit something, more pop up in other places. It seems to be impossible to have more than two rooms / areas under control at the same time.

Things that I found do help:

throw stuff away. You never ever miss it after that brief tug of guilt as it goes in the bin.

We have a three part laundry sorter with bags hung on a frame which made a massive difference to the pain of laundry. Whenever one is full I take it down in the morning, chuck in the machine and it's a full load with no sorting or effort or decisions to make or piles left behind to stuff back in the laundry basket. Highly recommend! Can't remember where it was from but will look it up if I get a chance.

[scareyt]

This is the one: http://www.aplaceforeverything.co.uk/home-storage/triple-laundry-basket-sorter?ret=989

It was a bit annoying at first as the sticks kept sliding out of the bags but I put a couple of stitches to hold each one in place and it's now great.

But I now have to eat my words re throwing things away - this afternoon my 2yo spotted a missing piece of a lovely wooden puzzle under the passenger seat of the car, and I am pretty sure I threw the rest of the puzzle away months ago, convinced that piece was lost forver. Gutted.