Clear surfaces

[Goodliz]

I was just wandering if anyone here in the family room is lucky enough to live in a home that is always tidy and has lots of clear surfaces. To me this is the holy grail. In order to put anything down something else has to be moved and piled on top of something(s) else.

Toys in every room, pictures everywhere and generally junk. To add to it I also work from home so contribute my fair bit too - cannot just blame the kids.

Sorry, I know this sounds crazy but I really am sick of the mess and always imagine other people living in homes that are lovely and tidy and well ordered.

Please tell me your home is messy too :))

Liz

[sunbob]

I empathise with you. Our place is much too full of stuff, which means that as soon as something isn't put back in position chaos insues. Things take twice as long as they should eg we are going on hol soon and I know it will take me an age to pack because I have to search around for things instead of them all having their own home to be found in. It also can limit opportunities for my 3 y old eg she loves to help in the kitchen and loves baking even more, but if I am struggling for enough space and clean stuff I can't let her in to butter the bread let alone make a cake. Oh well, I will stop moaning for now, thanks for the opportunity to vent.

[Fuschia]

Any clear space in our house seems to be treated as a temporary shelf! The table, in particular, always seems to have toys, clean folded washing ... To eat we have to clear it off before we can lay the table

High up surfaces are full of things put out of reach of the little children

[Pickle]

I try, but it's a losing battle! The kitchen is the space that annoys me the most, piles of stuff all over the work surface. Every now and then I'm brutal, but find all that happens is the piles end up as sub-piles and still don't disappear.

My kids are in a real arts and crafts phase at the moment and there's basically a whole ream of printer paper scattered around the house with drawings on it. Any time I try to sneak some into the recycling I get caught and feel guilty "but Mummy, that's my beautiful picture and I made it for you..."

And don't get me started on "junk modelling", that wonderful stage where they take rubbish and turn it into stuff that you're then not allowed to throw out :-S

You're not alone Liz!

[nikki73]

I can't even talk about it or might start sobbing... laundry toys shoes buggies bikes: too many, everywhere...

[The Nappy Lady]

I believe I have a kitchen table somewhere under the detritus!!

I spotted it briefly a few months ago.....

[womanofdulwich]

I thought the same, when I stopped wsorking in September I managed to get almost everything filed away- no piles on every surface- it took 2 weeks. All going well till Christmas- and I can report piles of papers on ALMOST every surface.

I did make a lot of space by going back and editing all the childrens school books- where I had kept every exercise book they brought back- from nursery onwards- I edited it down to English and Art only. This cleared 3 bags of stuff. Then massive filing into those wallet files/ box files- but really only once a term-one tip get e mails instead of paper for newsletters etc - papaerless bills etc.

[supergolden88]

I frequently contemplate buying one of the houses in my street (all of which seem to be going on sale) just so I can start over with an empty house

[Goodliz]

Lol - love it! I feel much better now. I forgot about the cupboard tops too - totally full of crap and on display.

Would love to have one of those homes with a big vase of flowers in the window, matching furniture in our bedroom and a bed that is nicely made and doesn't have clothes, belts, story books and everything else strewn all over it.

The teachers must be laughting behind our backs Pickle when they send the boys home with their Junk Modelling and paintings.

Thanks everyone, I must confess though that I don't even have a toddler to mess things up any more. My kids are at school so I have no excuse - but thanks again! Cheered me up!

Liz x

[scareyt]

I cleared two whole kitchen counters yesterday and it makes me so happy to see them again! Not looking forward to junk modelling stage...

[Fuschia]

I go to ikea just to sit for a moment in their pristine room arrangements

[buggie]

We've just recently got a coffee table - one of those trunk style ones... which is already 1/2 full and has a near full layer of stuff on top too - how we coped before I do not know!!

[Pickle]

Ha ha Fuschia, that really made me laugh!

I depressed myself the other day looking at pictures of our house immediately after renovations had been done - the lady that helped us with the design had some professional photos done and it looks fab. What you can't see is that she had put three quarters of our belongings outside, leaving just artistically placed coffee mugs and fruit bowls.

I wonder if I could buy the house next door and put the kids and their belongings in there?

[Fuschia]

Pickle, the sad thing is that it's totally true!!

I also find myself lying on their beds wondering if they would move me on if I fell asleep

When I am a batty old lady (more than I am already) I will live out my days in ikea. It has all a body could need. And free hot drinks weekdays

[Belle]

I love Ikea too F, for so many reasons. Love pretending the rooms are in my house.

surfaces drive me mad too. Agh, kids' magazines/comics and the free bits of tat that come with them are the particular bane of my life, and my eldest always spots those in the recycling too Pippa, like your kids & their artwork. Just looking around me, random items I can see include: baby's music box on bookcase for no reason, hot water bottle on coffee table(!!), fake poo my 3 year old got in magazine proudly displayed on his little table, various dusty Wii accessories long since abandoned, my husband's powerball which is only ever used by my son (nearly killing other people's children in the process I think), empty party bag from a birthday party in January (why?!)...the kitchen is worse.

[bluesuperted]

I think I'm in the minority (plus only one child!).... My house has lots of clean surfaces... Mainly due to my incredibly tidy husband... He is constantly putting away the few nice bits (or as he says knick knacks) I'm able to smuggle onto bookshelves... He is seriously tidy and the house is always immaculate once my 20mo is in bed. Our house has a touch of the IKEA about it, eeek!

I do realise I'm lucky. Just to complete the picture, at any given time, if you opened MY wardrobe, you might get swallowed up by a landslide of piled up clothes and lost oyster cards, camera cables, paperwork, academic papers, parenting books... I have to keep my true, incredibly messy self pretty tightly under wraps! My husband despairs of my mess but can ignore it providing the door still closes. And I am much much better than I would be in communal, family areas, I have learned a little in the 13 years we've been together!

God help me if my little boy inherits my genes and not his dad's! Although he already seems to enjoy tidying up so fingers crossed.

[katgod]

Liz I have the book for you. Is a guide to housework. Can't say it transformed my life but had a few practical hints. Deals with 'chaos'- aka Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome. Deals with danger spots - the places where piles of stuff build up so rapidly etc. I try very very hard to keep some clear surfaces. But pen pots and bowls of Lego, paper clips, hair clips and annoying small toys reproduce alarmingly in my house.

[mia]

Please just stop and look around your homes. The mess you all talk about is made by your lovely children. Soon the years will pass and your home may well be tidy but they will also feel quiet and empty. so hold on to the mess because when you look back it will come with wonderful memories. ENJOY!

[Saffron]

My bother and sister-in-law's house has lots of clean surfaces. It also has the exact same knick knacks, in the exact same places that it has had for 15 years! Creepy.

My niece (same brother's daughter), told me and my mother that her mum threw out some xmas ornaments that my mother specifically gave to my niece, b/c "they already had some similar ones"! My niece was only 5 years old then. Who throws out a 5 yo's knick knacks from granny?! The woman is obviously crazy (you'd probably have to be to get along with my brother... organises his sock drawer by size and colour).

Needless to say, our house is nothing like that, and that's FINE by me.

Surfaces accumulate junk daily and are diligently cleared by our fabu cleaner each week. There are a couple of "catch all" areas, mainly kitchen mantle piece. I can live with that. Cats walk on everything when your back is turned. Sofas have all been bounced on (by cats and toddler). Husband, bless 'im, can't make a cuppa without totally destroying half the kitchen. Hey, it's a house, not a museum! :)

[Saffron]

Then there's my house-proud friend whose home is immaculate. When said friend comes here with toddler, they have no problem trashing our place (hey, it's disorganised, but it's not a rubbish tip!). And they don't bother to tidy up when they leave!!!

[sunbob]

Mia. Unfortunately we can't blame our mess on the kids. In fact we even use 3 yr olds craft/art projects to try and brighten the place up a bit and take tje eyes away from the heap! When my waters broke with her I was trying to clear bags of recycling from the lounge at the beginning of what was meant to be 2 weeks at home to tidy up before she was born. It kind of went downhill from there! (the mess I mean :)

[GinaG3]

Well, I've been spring cleaning, since new year!!! I dedicate 2 days a week to cleaning, organising and putting away. I must say the bedroom is the worst. We have a built in double wardrobe but it just isn't big enough, so we then have a chest of drawers which just isn't big enough, so we then also have a shelf, turned on its side like a sideboard containing the washing baskets, an array of shoes, and then these sloping mountains of clothes on top, which have either no home or I can't be bother to find a home. Right now it is in order, after my most recent dedicated cleaning day I got fed up, chucked it all on the bed, tidied up and I'm at peace with my messy alterego for now.

I must say, I am the sort of person that will run round flat out, until I can nearly not stand to make sure not a fleck is on the floor if someone is coming over. I like people to think I secretly live in the tidiest place you ever clapped eyes on, but I don't. The secrets out!!

Today's to do, you guessed it. Cleaning. But I've got to get out too. Cleaning, out, cleaning, out? Which will it be? What came first the chicken or the egg? This is a dilemma. Mother in law round for Easter lunch tomorrow, either don't feed her, or allow her to see mess. No option sits right with me. It's going to be a longgggg day. Definitely need robots for household chores.

[Saffron]

Robot vacuum:

http://www.which.co.uk/home-and-garden/laundry-and-cleaning/reviews-ns/samsung-navibot-robot-vacuum-cleaner/

[Helen GV]

My brother in law has one of those! Think it would end up trashed after a week in my house, or lost...

[Saffron]

Little Saff's godparents have one, but they don't have kids!