Help! How Can I tidy up by Wednesday?

[grannymags]

Hi,

My house is a complete tip and my eldest son has announced he is coming down for the day on wednesday!

It will be lovely to see them but I have to make this place presentable. They have a new baby and a nearly three year old who will be into everything. We aren't able to see them as often as we would like as they live quite a way away.

I suppose I will just have to gather up all my junk and deposit it in one of the bedrooms! Then I can have a good clean. Then I must promise myself to keep it tidy but will have the task later of sorting the stuff in the bedroom. The kitchen isn't too bad which is a good thing.

If anyone has any ideas I would be most grateful.

Well, I'm off to write a list of what I have to do tomorrow!

Maggie

[MKG]

Hi Grannymags ...

We have a bedroom just like that

It's been like that for a year

Maybe tomorrow ...

Mike

[RobHed]

Hi Grannymags - we are having another of our 'yard sales' at the front of our property in about a week's time. All we use is a trestle table and boxes. It's a great way to get rid of unwanted junk, make money and recycle stuff within the community. Trouble is, I know that one day I will see someone around here wearing my trousers !

[Millymollymandy]

Why Rob, if you recognise your own trousers they must be quite remarkable i.e. not jeans! The mind boggles! tee hee.

Yup just dump the rubbish in the bedroom and just hope they don't announce that they are going to stay the night!!!

[RobHed]

Why Rob, if you recognise your own trousers they must be quite remarkable i.e. not jeans! The mind boggles! tee hee.

Yup just dump the rubbish in the bedroom and just hope they don't announce that they are going to stay the night!!!

Mmmmm, you do have a point, MMM ! Maybe I shouldn't try and sell those used boxers...........

[snapdragon]

not a clue - I use the 'spare room' too - but then when eldest visits it has to be their room - so our bedroom becomes as full as a full thing and I end up not being able to find anything afterwards
next step is move into the attic

[Thomzo]

Sorry this is a bit late but it might give some tips for next time. Get some empty cardboard boxes, you can try freecycling them. Then go around the house gathering stuff up and sort it into the boxes depending on the stuff that is cluttering the house and what you need to do with it eg:

magazines
post to deal with
washing
stationery
toys

etc
Then, when you have time, you can deal with each box in order of importance eg. post to deal with first, then washing etc.

When someone comes pile the boxes neatly in a spare corner and throw a blanket over them or put a screen round them if you have one.

Cheers
Zoe

[grannymags]

Thanks for the tips Zoe. I have some breathing space now as they aren't coming down until next thursday now! Breaths a sigh of relief!

My daughter wanted to see them as well but wednesday was a busy day at her work so the day was changed. Now I have a few more days to get it all done but I will have to be strict with myself because I do tend to put things off.

I have been setting myself small targets and then a 'reward'. For example I tell myself I can't use the spinning wheel until I have done whatever I planned. I have to bully myself!! I mustn't waste time. I am on the computer at the moment as my 'reward' for cleaning the cooker. My next task is to find the dining table under all the 'stuff' I have dumped there!

Maggie

[2+bump]

my house is exactly the same so i'm interested in the tips your getting. my excuse is my 2 toddlers and that i'm 24 weeks pregnant

[grannymags]

Congratulations on your forthcoming third child. I know what that is like! I had three in as many years! I have one older as well (he is the one coming down tomorrow) and they are all grown up.

The trouble is, the three youngest moved out and didn't take their stuff with them! Then, two moved back home, brought more stuff and then left it again when they moved out again! My youngest son even left two pet rats ! I couldn't bear their tails so he had to come back and feed them etc.!!! So, four bedrooms and three of them full of their junk! I am going to give them an ultimatum!

Anyway, I am now exhausted! I have shoved stuff in the bedroom, even sorted some stuff and written on the boxes what is in them! How organised is that? The house is now reasonably tidy and I have even made a Cottage pie for tomorrow so I don't have to spend too much time in the kitchen.
If I have forgotten anything it is too late now. Hubby has promised to clean the kitchen floor in the morning.

So, now all I have to do is enjoy their visit. It will be lovely to see my two lovely granddaughters. I don't get to see them as often as I would like as they live too far away.

Thanks everyone for all the tips. Much appreciated. It has been such a help even just to talk about it.

Maggie x

[Millymollymandy]

Well done and I hope you have a lovely time with them!

[thesunflowergal]

Maggie

Could you not ask your kids to sort through their stuff? Get them to take the stuff that they want. The stuff that they don't could they not bag it up for the charity shop or freecycle.

[2+bump]

Well done on getting sorted. An ultimatum sounds like a good idea, come take what you want or its getting given away/dumped

[thesunflowergal]

I mean't to add that this is what my parents did with my brother and I. I was really pleased to bring my childhood collection of Roald Dahl books, home for my kids. Some of those books where my Fathers, when he was a boy too. Quite a lot was junk though!!