It's official :: the Attic24 household has c.h.a.o.s written all over it. Do you know this phrase? It's a Flylady thing and stands for "Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome". It describes the state of affairs when one's house reaches a level of such untidiness that it's embarrassing for all concerned. Yeah, things here are really that bad right now.
This is not by any means a sudden revelation as for quite some time now I've experienced that heavy-hearted feeling when I am at home surrounded by the clutter and mess of everyday life. Every single room is a disaster zone, there is just such a crazy amount of stuff absolutely everywhere. There is clutter in every nook and cranny of absolutely every room in the house (excepting the bathroom, thank heavens for small mercies). It's overwhelming, and to be truthful, a touch depressing.
But you know me, I'm generally pretty upbeat about most things and not one to sink into any sort of depression....so I have summoned up some optimism and motivation and made a tentative start. On Monday I sat down with my Book of Days, some colourful little stickers and my favourite writing pens {gorgeous Staedter Fineliners, find them on Amazon UK
For the next five weeks I am going to attempt to tackle the main areas of the house, using the Flylady's Zones to form my basic plan. The timing is just right as we have five weeks left of the school year before the summer holidays start. And I am really in LOVE with the idea that maybe-possibly-perhaps I stand a chance of having a much more loved-up home by then. Ever hopeful, that's me!
I really quite like the Flylady approach, although at the moment I am only extracting the bits that feel like they will work for me. I am going to do a little bit each day, and try not to feel overwhelmed. BabySteps and all that. So this week, we are in Zone 3 which is the bathroom. As this is the one room in my house that is remarkably tidy (hallelujah) I didn't have to spend time de-cluttering in here. So I simply made a five-day bathroom cleaning plan for myself, and get this - I HaVe StUcK tO tHe PLaN!!!!!!! I really have!!
This week I've spent a little bit of time each day getting on with the job of cleaning in here. I've put on my Home Loving apron, donned my Easy to Wear Household Gloves with a Luxury Comfort Lining, gathered together my cleaning cloths, scrubbers, sponges and sprays and set to work. I can tell you that it's been >>OK<<, truthfully I haven't much enjoyed the scrubbing and cleaning, but I have felt a weirdly satisfying sort of rising contentment at making progress and doing some pretty physical work for a change.
I've got two more days left in this little room, which will involve cleaning out the small cupboard, cleaning various dusty decorative objects, eliminating cobwebs from the ceiling and finally, scrubbing the floor.
I really hope I can keep it up, especially as the other rooms in the house are waaaay worse than the bathroom. Next week we move to Zone 4 : The Master Bedroom, where I know there will be a fair bit of work involved. Crikey, I still clearly remember the 225 objects from 2011 (this post, in case you are wondering what I am on about). Oh well, I shall remain positive and give it my best. Fifteen minutes of decluttering a day, how hard can it be?
x
Hi
I haven't written a thing for a long time but love your blog and all the things you crochet. I have the wool for a ripple blanket based on our local(only 2 miles away) beach and dunes, but got waylaid into granny squares for my son and a top(for me).
Posted by: Jo simmonds | June 19, 2015 at 07:12 PM
I didn't know that C.H.A.O.S. is what I have. Lol! The worst part of tidying up is where to put the stuff that needs to be put away! If I had a place for it I wouldn't have all the clutter! Once I organize and create a place for those items I find it so much easier took keep my spaces clean. It just takes so much time and mental energy to find storage solutions! I know I have too much stuff and I am slowly letting go of collections, books, craft supplies, etc... But it is slow going. Thank you Lucy for sharing your struggles with the rest of us. You're so not alone with this. I really endorse your reader's comment on the Declutter Along. What a fun support group that would be!
Posted by: Lynn Dee Butler | June 19, 2015 at 05:57 PM
How wonderful to find someone like me! It's important that we all enjoy our time with our families and do things that make us happy.
Posted by: Sue | June 19, 2015 at 05:47 PM
Sorry this is unrelated to this post - but I was so excited to share my completed ripple blanket with you, but I couldn't find an email address to send pics. I posted it to your Facebook, and it seems a bunch of people saw it, everyone except for you! What is the best way to share projects with you?
Posted by: Lizzie | June 19, 2015 at 05:13 PM
I love fly lady too! I want so much to have a tidy home, but I tend to only do the pamper missions each week lol. They are great by the way.
Posted by: Ann Clawson | June 19, 2015 at 02:33 PM
I put ALL the clutter in my spare bedroom just before Easter as I had to have the house tidy for the Wake after my dear Mum's funeral. I still haven't sorted out that mess and now the rest of the house is nearly as bad as it was before! I am having a real go at getting things straight this afternoon and over the weekend.... well, after I've caught up with my favourite Blogs and procrastinated a bit longer!
Life is too short to have a very tidy house, especially if you have hobbies and projects on the go, but it does help to have visitors on a regular basis to keep matters under control.
Posted by: Beccy | June 19, 2015 at 01:18 PM
Its Chaos here too at the mo, with my health in relapse for the past six months things have really slipped, I'm on the ten minute a day plan all I can manage at the moment, good luck with it
Clare x
Posted by: Clare | June 19, 2015 at 01:17 PM
Love it - not just me then. I believe that there are monsters in the cupboards that mess things up and push things out at me when I open the doors! Well - I can pretend!
Posted by: piglettos | June 19, 2015 at 12:20 PM
I love cleaning, I love washing and Ironing, in fact I love playing house! Mess stresses me out and overwhelms me, things run more smoothly when you are organised, sometimes i struggle with it but on the whole it works. Some people would say that they would rather be doing something else but being organised with cleaning routines actually means you have more time to do the things you like to do because when you are on top of it the cleaning is done far quicker.
Good luck with the new routine, lists help, i'm a big list maker too :-)
Posted by: Maggie | June 19, 2015 at 10:04 AM
I love it when I visit other people's houses and they are messy - it makes me feel much better about my own chaos! Perhaps we should have a DCAL - declutter-along.
Posted by: Jo | June 19, 2015 at 08:29 AM
Thank heavens it's not just my house. My daughter returned from uni this week with stuff then proceeded to spread it everywhere as she packed for four week expedition to Madagascar and bless her left the aftermath. Not to mention the grandparents in law that insisted on coming and staying over when there was no room. I will have to read the book. My problem is tiny house too much stuff and no where to put it. Thank you for the inspiration.
Posted by: christine | June 19, 2015 at 08:01 AM
Same here Lucy! Tiny house with lots of stuff and no-one with any inclination to tidy up! But housework is for rainy days in my book - I'd rather be down the plot pulling up weeds ;-) Good luck! I'm waiting til after the school holidays to blast my mess xxxx
Posted by: Wilsy-bobs | June 19, 2015 at 06:59 AM
Good on you, Lucy! I have been embracing the minimalistic way of life for a few months now, after discovering a few blogs on the subject, and I can really recommend it. One of the most important thing about de-cluttering though is to avoid re-cluttering by buying less stuff. It works, and is actually is quite liberating! Keep us posted :)
Posted by: Marie | June 18, 2015 at 11:20 PM
Get a steam cleaner - bathrooms glisten in next to no time, once any clutter has been removed! Certainly, you'll never have to scrub a floor again. I got one with 15 attachments which seemed ridiculous but they're brilliant - grouting, top of the stove, bits of the loo that shouldn't be mentioned, floors, tiles, behind the taps, corners of the shower - it's absolutely the best thing I've ever bought for whipping through cleaning. No chemicals either.
Posted by: Adaliza | June 18, 2015 at 11:01 PM
Ah - I find all the decluttering mania a bit self-flagellating TBH - I think if you are a visual person (painter here) then you often find yourself completely surrounded by the oooh shiny - so I don't mind untidiness but I can't abide dirtiness - that's my tipping point. I think the trick is to have a place for everything so it CAN be tidied away. Also BIG cupboards lol.
As to the Marie Kondo book - the only thing that stuck was the folding. I love it - and can now get twice as much crap - erm - carefully curated clothing, into my chest of drawers. I also photograph the tidiness and artfully presented bits of finished room. It reminds me why I do the housework in the first place lol.
Be kind to yourself Lucy and try not to get too overwhelmed - I admire attic24 greatly - you have a lovely home xx
Posted by: Elaine | June 18, 2015 at 10:47 PM
Oh Lucy....I so recognize this feeling, infact I had a complete melt down on Tuesday night...it is good to know that housework terrifies others.
Add on a long term extension and a university course...I just need more yarn...right!!
Posted by: niki | June 18, 2015 at 10:41 PM
I love Flylady and hope to jump back on the wagon this summer. Love, love, love your blog and beautiful crochet projects!
Posted by: susie | June 18, 2015 at 10:28 PM
Pretty sad I know but I got a steam cleaner 40 years ago for my birthday and have not looked back. It makes cleaning much faster, more thorough and more rewarding and for my allergies means no chemicals. I highly recommend it. The house feels so clean after a bit blitz and it saves time on interim work too.
Posted by: Beccy | June 18, 2015 at 09:26 PM
Good luck Lucy Xx Joy Xx
Posted by: Joy | June 18, 2015 at 08:28 PM
I think it's wise to start with the least challenging area/room/wardrobe. That way you can achieve a great finish and feel happy with yourself without falling at the first hurdle. Well done, keep on going. This is what I need to be doing too!
Posted by: Linda | June 18, 2015 at 07:26 PM
Ooh, it's so good to hear a blogger confessing to mess! Especially when it seems as if every. single. room. is in chaos - oh lordy, do I relate to that?! I've also been reading Marie Kondo's book - she's quite extreme and I'm glad she wasn't my sister growing up, what with her tendency to throw out everyone else's stuff, but there have been a few good suggestions to take away from it. And I think she's right - when you do tackle an area properly, it stays that way. It's worked for my T-shirt drawer anyway!
Posted by: Katherine | June 18, 2015 at 06:59 PM
Sweetpea, I've been following you for a few years now and think it's time for you to give yourself a promotion and hire a maid to come in once a week to handle to heavy duty cleaning. You deserve it!
Posted by: Tizabell | June 18, 2015 at 06:46 PM
It will be lovely. Small steps work, gradually , you will feel less overwhelmed...x
Posted by: Kate | June 18, 2015 at 05:25 PM
Love it! I knew what c.h.a.o.s. meant as soon as I saw your post title, but I assumed you'd be talking about something else. ;) I started FlyLady shortly after my oldest son was born (he's 10 now), and it was so wonderful. I thought I'd never fall off the wagon. Boy, was I wrong! I been out of the habit for a long, long time now. I'm learning that, for the most part, my friends really don't care if my house isn't clean. A little imperfection actually helps people feel welcome and comfortable. The dead bugs in my dust bunnies are extra welcoming, right? ;) Ha. I might be able to join you in cleaning the bathroom this week, but the master bedroom for next week is SCARY! That is the worst room in my house. Yikes. Surely I could work on a small corner or maybe just a nightstand for 15 minutes, though. I hope you are able to keep it up! It is so rewarding when you feel that sense of accomplishment and can enjoy your clean home.
Posted by: Jenny B. | June 18, 2015 at 04:59 PM
Time sure flies. I remember the stickers and journal with the Flylady!! It is so funny what sticks in the brain and becomes part of your everday life. I am definately a journal writer and sticker user. Putting your house into zones definately makes life and the task at hand easier. :)
Posted by: Robin Summers | June 18, 2015 at 04:23 PM