Well, I'm pretty much in the same boat, but I offered this advice to a friend once, and she said it was awesome advice, so here goes:

GET OFF YOUR BUTT AND GET THAT HOUSE CLEAN! WHAT IF SOMEONE SHOWS UP, AND YOUR HOUSE LOOKS LIKE THAT!?!?!? THEN WHAT ARE YOU GONNA SAY?

Take that with all the love intended, hon. You asked, just trying to help. (Wish I could take my own advice.)

I put on music...good old rock n roll...and i force myself to start...but once i start it is a very short time and i am done...and yes i agree with you...when my house is a mess {AND BELIEVE ME IT GETS THAT WAY }...i feel WORSE... I can RELAX when my house is clean...
i walk around with a sock on my hand dusting...another sock for glass things...i vacuum...wash dishes...all while doing laundry...I walk from room to room doing a bit in each room as i go...and take however many breaks i need...even if i only work 5 minutes at a time...I can get alot done...

Aspire..no offense taken...you are EXACTLY right. And honestly, since I do it every week, I guess it would REALLY be bad if I didn't.
And "boni", I love the music idea...now that I think of it I listed to Christmas carols last week to get through it. It HELPED. But sometimes only pure rock will help!! Great advice! I Also like you how you stage it out. I tend to run around like a nut and then I'm flaring for two days...lol, brilliant, huh?

love to you guys for helping and understanding...

Morus

This is almost funny! I am having the exact same dilemma right now. I am a clean freak so when my house is messy I get so uptight!! Ahhh....What I do is do a few things here and there for most of the day. Usually, its just stuff laying around so I go around picking stuff up first. Then I will do the dishes. Next, I will takes some of those Clorox wipes and wipe down doorways, counters, and toilets (on the outside) and whatever else I feel safe using them on. I have to make my kids clean up after themselves because I realized that they are old enough to do it and I shouldnt have to do EVERYTHING around here.

I don't have a lot of umph myself today...I committ to doing what I can and not sweat the "small" stuff...Still, (eyes rolling) I KNOW there are a few things that I MUST do!! UGH!!!! May Gd be with us all as we do what we NEED to do..
((HUGS))

ah, yes bb....how true...and you know what?? Based on your age, I'm going to "assume" that your kids are young...not 16 like my daughter.

Do you know what she does to help me...basically...NOTHING. I've (and my hubby..grrr) have raised a spoiled, lazy princess. She lays around while Daddy serves her. I WILL NOT.

My life is such a mess. I can't get it together. Well, off to clean my mess....but really the tips you guys have given me are very good and I'm goign to use them all, music, take breaks, push myself and finally, get that little brat off her butt to help!?!?!? ;)

love to you all!

Morus

I know what you mean. I am a neat freak and it drives me crazy to have things out of place. I have started tackling one room at a time. I put every cleaning thing I need in a bucket and I go from one room to the next. I know it sounds stupid, but it makes the job seem smaller. Good luck.

Let's see. Step one: Decide what HAS to be done.
Step two: Make a definite time for it to be done.(3 weeks from Monday sounds good)Step three: Turn on music. Step four: Wait for Mary Poppins to show up and do it.

Ok, up & at 'em tiger! Get your hiny movin'! When I'm cleaning, I do things for about 20 minutes, then I sit down for 5. Takes a little longer to get done, but I'm not so worn out afterward. Good luck hun! :}

Aspire, I love your motivational talk. Man if I were to hear that I would go and hide under the duvet! lol

OK, I'm here with an update....I've done the kitchen so far....slow and steady, right??? ;) I'm going to dust the living and family room now and ugh...bathrooms...well, I'll update you later. Hubby has agree to do the vacuuming which usually kills "me achin'" back!?!?

Keep the posts coming I love them! Even waiting for Mary Poppins works!!! tee hee!

But a dusting I go ....ttys.....love you guys!

morus

I am sitting here looking at this because my hubby told me I had to pay bills today and no computer til it's done. He's right of cousre but my God the pill of bills is a mile high and I have about $400.00 to pay them all so...I came running back here and I saw this, I don't feel so alone right now that's for sure.
I wish I could tell you something, anything to help you but my own ship is sinking so I have nothing I can tell you...
(getting off the computer because here he come's) Darn it he caught me....)

I use musictoo. Think I had just this conversation with someone a few days ago. Any way if Iset some goals and I accomplish those goals, I reward myself with a hot tub soak or time reading a book, all guiltless time because I earned it.

ooooooooohhhhhh Socal...so know that....nothing left for those bills that are a mile high along with all the other junk...i keep walking by it like it's gonna disappear....honey, i guess just pay what you can.

I SO know where you are with that...hang in girl....things are gonna work out. I'll pray for you and me AND all of us who find ourselves cleaning AND financially challenged...ughers...it's so depressing.....

love and many blessings...

morus... back to dusting the bills...;)

It is easiest if you have a place for everything to go to. If you put everything away right away and in it's proper place things clean up faster (to me finding the proper place for everything is the hardest).

Clean one room in the house at a time, start small and don't over due it, or you will pay for it later. Go through mail right when it arrives and shed what needs to be shredded right after you look at it and get rid of everything that you don't need (junk mail) put bills in proper place (hubby's lap?! LOL).

I like to do toilets all in the same day and that way I can carry the cleaning stuff from one bathroom to the next and then put the cleaning stuff away, then tubs or showers another day, sinks and so on. That way I only carry around the cleaning stuff that is needed for the one job at a time.

If I know where things go and put them away right away I don't get flustered. If it starts to pile up, argh! I still wonder why it is so hard to just put things away right way.

If I have stuff to go upstairs I leave it at the bottom of the steps and anyone who goes upstairs carries up the stuff when they head that way, that way I'm not wearing out my knees all day long running up and down (though that would be good for weight loss).

If you don't use something in a long time, you probably don't need it, get rid of it (now that is hard, I'm still working on that one) less clutter, less work.