Seriously, the house is in such a mess, it pretty much needs one of those reality shows where they haul everything out into the front yard, embarrass the crap out of you, but you start from scratch in the house again. I swear we could throw out half the Stuff! that we have in here, and we wouldn't miss it - because half the time we can't find it when we want it anyway! (eg. this week we were looking for a packet of brass picture hanging wire that I know we have because the mirror in the ensuite fell off the wall (again). Could we find it? No. Did I have to buy another roll? Yes.. So does that mean we actually now have 2 rolls of picture hanging wire in the house? Why yes! Of course! Somewhere.)

Once the house had been stripped of all the crap, it could then be cleaned properly, because I am such a pathetic cleaner that it is now all beyond an average clean. And it is so hard to clean around everybody's Stuff! that I end up just poking the vacuum cleaner, broom, duster, mop, or sponge at and around things, which, of course, leaves corners of copulating dust bunnies, and cobwebs in the (exposed) rafters that would out-cobweb Miss Havisham's house (as I always imagined it from the book.) - Actually, take your pick from the "Fictional squalorees" on that link I just found! - some I don't know, but could probably quite aptly be compared to!)

It might be Autumn, but baby, this house needs a spring clean. No, that's not enough.. it needs some sort of 'Of the Decade' scale clean out. Snow White!!! Where are you?!!!

I am lucky most days to get beyond making the kitchen barely presentable. And I am lucky most weeks to manage to clean the bathroom basins and the loos. And now to really make any inroads into any area of the house, I know that the dust will get up my nose, and it'll be sneeze city. (Hello Sinus & Hayfever tablets!...)

So gross. It's di-a-bolical. But I just ...don't ...know ...where ...to... start.

(Actually, I've just read the home page of that last link (amazing what you can stumble upon on the internet isn't it?!) and I realise that I perhaps haven't sunk quite to the depths yet... and realistically, I am exaggerating slightly - it's not quite Miss Havisham level. I think perhaps I am just at First Degree Squalor Level) (And OMG, I just read about C.H.A.O.S. - Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome - which I feel that I have the first symptoms of!.. oh scary thought!)

I guess it is all doable, and with the school holidays starting, and we aren't going away anywhere.. then it might be appropriate to get the whole family involved. And for me to then make some changes - to myself, as well as to the habits of the family - so that the rest of the year sees an improvement, instead of a slide into the Totally Out-of-Control or Second Degree Squalor!


After getting a haircut this morning, and then doing the duty attendance at the school's Easter Hat Parade, (yes it was pretty ho hum, but I was THERE)... I'm running out of time to do anything constructive... again... as usual.... because I tend to fill in the gaps between 'appointments' with blog reading, online newspaper browsing, coffee drinking, morning tea, then lunch... and .. another coffee... and... well.. blogging. Like I am now! (Do you see any time management issues happening here?)

I am getting that teary PMS-ish feeling welling up in me again too, so I know that I would probably feel better if I took myself out for some exercise - a walk at least - even if I am feeling all stiff and sore from the weight training yesterday! (A "good" stiff and sore, but sheesh...)

I am considering suggesting a visit to the library with the kids after school for us all to pick up some holiday reading. I approach even this with some trepidation because I know that it will mean more Stuff! to lie around the floors (and to have to track down when the books are due again... the nooks and crannies Zoe manages to find to secrete (and forget) books in is quite impressive really...) But we haven't done any local library borrowing for a while, so it is probably time we did so.. so as I can be a "good" parent and all that.

Oh well.. wish me luck! I have shown that I can make some changes in my life. The weight/centimetres loss! And I can now get up at 5 am to go bike riding! (We are going to go again on Saturday!) I have stopped drinking coffee after dinner! I CAN CHANGE!!!

Labels: clean ups, daily, Resolution