I am living in CHAOS at the moment. Trying to stay on top of all the housework and the CrashKids’ daily messes is hard when you’re distracted by more fun things like getting out of the house, chatting on social media and keeping Crash Test Mummy going!
I’m doing pretty well with things like family paperwork since I created my ‘tickler file’ and bill payment is much easier (even more so when there’s actually money to pay them!). And believe it or not, I’m still staying on top of the laundry after writing my Ultimate Laundry Survival Guide. Although this cold and wet weather is starting to wreak havoc with my system. Time to hire a dryer again methinks.
No, where I’m having problems is keeping up with the daily grind of what to eat, cooking, cleaning up after eating and cooking, looking for the lounge room floor etc etc etc. Or more correctly, not keeping up with it, letting it grow into a monster job and then avoiding it like the plague. Unfortunately Crash Palace is far too small to let the detritus pile up. I could possibly lose the CrashKids amongst it all if they weren’t so noisy ;)
I was talking to my friend and fellow blogger Jodie from Muddled Up Mumma and she too was lamenting about keeping on top of everything. It’s even more difficult for her because she has a real job! So I asked Jodie if she wanted to help me crash test some systems and routines for keeping our houses in order. She agreed, so welcome to:
We’re going to crash test two different solutions to sorting out your daily routines to keep your house in order. We’ll choose our teams (that’s where you come in), set some simple tasks crash test from our chosen solution.
I’ve chosen the FlyLady because I’ve had success with it before and need to get back into it again. Jodie has asked for the advice of a good friend and fellow blogger Katrina from The Organised Housewife
FlyLady offers a system for organizing and managing a home, based on the concept of daily routines and a focus on small, time- and space-limited tasks.
Be sure to head over to later on tonight (she’s jet-setting) to read Jodie’s story and spy on her team building efforts for me ok?
So who wants to be on Team Crash Test Mummies?
I’m looking for two other mummies to be on my team to crash test the FlyLady system. To apply please complete your Crash Test Mummy profile and then comment below why you need help. Remember that word CHAOS I referred to at the start? Well in FlyLady speak it stands for Can’t Have Anyone Over Syndrome! I want you to tell me how bad you’ve got it (preferably in 100 words or less!).
Jodie and I will be choosing our teams this weekend so make sure you apply before then. If you’re selected I’ll contact you and ask you to send me a photo for your team profile.
The challenge will kick off next Monday with Jodie and I introducing our teams and setting your tasks! If you don’t make it we’d still love to have you join in and read all about your test results in the comments!
Are you in?
Laney x
ps I don’t usually blog on Tuesdays lately, but today I can link up with Jess at Diary of a SAHM for IBOT – yay! Please check out the other lovely bloggers who have posted today :)
Laney, we were just talking about this yesterday; about all the things we should do to make home life less chaotic. I have a 9 week old! Routine is non existent, hubby is working hard (literally) as a labourer whilst I’m on maternity leave and we have two dogs. We choose MCNs so I’m washing and folding those every. single. day. And as a result all Other waging goes out the window. I have a nursery full of clothes, nappies, gifts, stuff… And a study full of boxes that I’ll get to ‘later’. The rugs are constantly dog hairy and our kitchen has seen better days. Hubby gets home from work exhausted and I hand over the baby just to have some me time. We eat dinner any time from 730-9pm. We barely have the time or energy to talk to each other anymore, let alone do anything fun. We need order! We live in chaos and suffer from CHAOS (but people come on over anyway…) Pick me! Pick me! xx
Jenn’s last post..wordless wednesday – our town – bushwalking in blackheath, part two
*all other washing. Not waging ;)
Jenn’s last post..wordless wednesday – our town – bushwalking in blackheath, part two
Good luck – i will be reading along!
Deb @ Home life simplified’s last post..Ramblings on motherhood
Sounds very interesting! I’ll be keeping up with the challenge :)
Good luck to both teams!
Ai Sakura’s last post..Letter to my girl #5
Why Do I need to be apart of this.
Simply because my house is falling apart. There is no order, nothing is in its right place. It just all turned to crap since we added a fourth family member. Hubby and I are finding that we barely get time to talk other then the 15 minutes we eat dinner because we are too busy trying to get on top of the house work.
I honestly cant remember the last day that I got out of my PJ’s other then at 5 when hubby comes home I shower and think I just put on Pjs…
I NEED help :(
Beck @ The Rambling Mummy’s last post..DPCON12… 3 More Days
Oh man I’ve tried Fly Lady before but wasn’t motivated enough at the time. Maybe this is the motivation I need!
We had an inspection today which involved me hiding all the filing I haven’t done this year (I have done zero filing this year and we’re over a quarter way through!), folding ten loads of washing, chucking things in the garage to store and pretty much panic.
I’m typing this as the mister feeds sesame and I play trains with lufflump (mainly him throwing train at me and I put it back on the track). Our house has no meal plans which means we have spaghetti and mince but no sauce or chicken and sauce but no rice, veggies but no steak – NO ORDER AT ALL! It’s doing my head in and hopefully now that the mister has quit one of his two jobs we can get back into order. I’m not sure we can do it ourselves, it’s too far gone now :(
HELP!!
Ames’s last post..Marching To My Own Beat #marchownbeat
Is flylady the one that bangs on about the shining sink? I should probably volunteer as a candidate for this. I am the worst for leaving dishes overnight, and sometimes over two nights. I hate doing dishes. I know my day look would look different if I woke up to a sparkly sink. And the lace up shoes right? Well I have my cons ready! I still look forward to watching the challenge even if I am not chosen. Sounds like a fun idea.
Happylan’s last post..On the cusp of something big…
Oh please pick me!
Just before I read this, I picked up what I thought was a clean floor mat that had driftend from the overflowing three piles of washing, but it turned out to be the back door mat, which was covered in sand. As I threw it into my clean washing, I managed to get sand all over the house and the washing.
So instead of cleaning it up, I sat down and read blogs instead ;)
So good to have you today Laney! Yay!
Jess’s last post..Diary of a SAHM does Free Hugs
I follow both Flylady and The Organised Housewife and I’d hate to think of what my house would look like without both of them! It’s still not at either of their standards (not even close), but I’ve had two sets of unexpected visitors today and didn’t die from embarrassment so that’s a good start! I will definitely follow for more tips but couldn’t choose between the two. :)
Misha’s last post..Comment on Green by Nee Say
Such a cool concept Laney!
I’m not in the right headspace to take on something else new right now though. I’m taking baby steps to implementing new systems at my place and don’t think I can commit to another program. I love this idea though. Lots of mummies are craving it!
Fiona @ My Mummy Daze’s last post..Meeting Giggle, Hoot & Hootabelle
Perhaps this is just the motivation I need? I currently work 3 days a week & I’m flat out keeping on top of things. To make matters worse the need for $$ has meant I have just applied for 2 extra days. Not sure when ANYTHING is going to get done then!! In lieu of a cloning myself I desperately need a system of some description.
Nee Say’s last post..Like a fine wine + {Giveaway}
I’m sorry I’m going to have to go with Jodie… me and FlyLady aren’t good friends…. I still love you though lol
miss.cinders’s last post..Holding Onto the Baby?
I’m on and off the bandwagon with Flylady. Love the system, find it hard to stick to, but that may be more personality related than her system…
My mum was over last week, helping with birthday party preparations. When she found herself with nothing to do, she looked around and said, ‘I’d help you with cleaning the house, but I wouldn’t know where to start’. Ugh! I think that means I need serious help!
Tam’s last post..How to cook a kick-ass roast chook
Oh pick me Laney!
I spent the day making my house ‘Grandmother ready’ as she had to watch my kids tonight while I went to work and B went to footy training… of course I forgot to clean the inside of the fridge… well didn’t I hear about that!
Amy @ MahliMoo’s last post..Let the children play
If I wasn’t in the middle of packing up my house for our upcoming move I would have definitely put my hand up for this – home organisation is definitely a problem for me. I will be reading on with keen interest though – good luck to all the mummas/mummies participating!
Kirsty@MyHomeTruths’s last post..So I’m Going to the Digital Parents Conference…
This is such PERFECT timing for our household. I am so excited to follow the progress and learn all the handy hints. 6 months ago I would’ve said I was a very organised person but it has all fallen away and revealed a disorganised and dishevelled family! Good luck to all involved and I await your ideas with bated breath! ( I would volunteer but have discovered that part of my being disorganised stems from me getting too involved in too many projects! Moving house will be keeping me busy enough! ) :)
What an honour for Jodie to choose to follow my method and tips for organising the home and family. I am very excited to watch the process and see how it all unfolds. I mentioned on Jodie’s page, I’m not an expert, or a professional organiser, I just want to share my ways and ideas that can then inspire those that need help, motivation and perhaps they can adapt how I do things to suit their family. Good luck girls!!!
Kat – The Organised Housewife’s last post..Decorating for Easter + a FREE Easter printable
Is there still time to put my hand up? I have not done any filing in about 18 months, I spend 15 minutes every morning rifling through the clean laundry pile for something to wear or to dress the kids in. We can’t see the floor of the laundry room on any given day and my 5-year-old a couple of days ago commented that we should clean up before his grandmother’s arrival. Oh the shame… In the interest of full disclosure I have to reveal that my mother is staying with us for the next 2 weeks and so she will be helping me get on top of things. I still however need to establish some kind of routine that will allow me to actually keep the place under control after my mother is gone. And for that I need a few kicks up the backside and I reckon the CTM community can provide that aplenty! ;-)
Do we have to be a blogger? If not PLEASE pick me I am a newly single Mum with three boys and R little girl, we have got our new schedule down pat, and proving we can cope with whatever life throws at us….that is unless it is the detritus that drips from small boys as they charge from room to room, dishes? Oh thats right I have to do them now I am renting a house that isn’t kitted out with a dishwasher. Laundry consists of throwing what we need for the next day into the wash before I sweep the crap off my bed and sleep, then setting the alarm half an hour early so I can throw shoes out of my dryer and the much needed smalls and uniforms in. My life seriously consists of trying to clean sh!t just before I need it, I seriously need a system, any system that I and my messy ninja’s can cope with before I start work again. For the sake of my sanity please pick me @_@