Why is there SO much housework wtf?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Whoa what service scans and emails your mail and how much does it cost????

The service I use is called Travelling Mailbox. I think it's like $15/mo. They have a few different plans. Let me tell you this thing is a game changer for me. We are military and we move a lot, and this service has brought me so much piece of mind because I never have to change my address again. It's a minor hassle to set up (you have to fill out a form authorizing them to accept your mail), and then you have to update your new mailing address with your banks, credit cards etc, but after the initial set up, it's phenomenal. I login to my personal inbox and all my mail is scanned and waiting for me. It can be saved as a PDF directly to your computer, mailed to you if you need a hard copy of something, shredded-whatever. They even deposit checks to your bank for you for a fee (which I happily pay bc I'm a landlord). I absolutely love it.

I love this idea. I'm going to look into it, thanks!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Be glad you don't also have 3 cats - oh, the cat tumbleweeds! I've seriously wondered if I could train them to use the vacuum, or at least attach a dusting cloth to their tails....

Get a roomba and set it up to vacuum during the day 3x a week, then dump the bin on weekends. I find the house looks cleaner if the floor is clean. And you can tape a play mousie to the top to entertain the cats while it does its circuit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"Finish" might work for SAHP's, or working parents on the weekends, but it doesn't work well during the week for people who work FT. I can't do 1-2 loads of laundry and "finish" within the cycle times on a weekday. I have to start a load in the morning, switch it to the dryer when I get home (and start another load), and fold it and put it away after the kids are in bed (and put wet load in the dryer). The next morning, put wet load in the dyer, start a new wash. After work, put wet load in dryer and dry load in hamper. After kids in bed, fold both dry loads. I might be able to finish all of the family's laundry for the week if I stayed home all day Saturday to do it, but that's unreasonable.

Dishwasher runs for at least 45 minutes. I can start it in the morning, but have to unload when I get home. I can start it at night, but have to unload the next morning.

I walk in the house with the mail at 6:00, try to have dinner on the table by 6:30. Sorting the mail and "finishing" it (paying bills, responding to RSVP's, filing coupons, etc.) in that time doesn't work. I do immediately throw away all junk, though.

I try the one-touch rule and to "finish" as much as possible, and it does help to some degree, but for the big things that take time, it's really hard for working parents. Just a vent. It would be nice, and helpful, I'm sure. It's just so hard when you don't have long stretches of time to get things down without sacrificing something else (like dinner, or playtime with kids).

I posted upthread. I work 9 hour days and get one day off every other week. It's been glorious. I can have a completely spotless houses, all errands ran, dinner on the table and all laundry done. Being home all day without a kid is a miracle. Sometimes we travel on my day off and it's like I can't get ahead. I really NEED that day off to make everything right again. Anyways, just a thought.

I don't get any real mail. I have everything on autopay and I do our finances at lunch on my computer.

My washing machine is huge and can fit 2 regular sized loads.

[Anonymous]

I have a large basket by the door for the mail, and it just gets dumped in there. I go through it once a month when I need to pay the few bills I have left that aren't on direct deposit.

[Anonymous]

Marie Kondo. Read the book. And stop buying stuff!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Finish" might work for SAHP's, or working parents on the weekends, but it doesn't work well during the week for people who work FT. I can't do 1-2 loads of laundry and "finish" within the cycle times on a weekday. I have to start a load in the morning, switch it to the dryer when I get home (and start another load), and fold it and put it away after the kids are in bed (and put wet load in the dryer). The next morning, put wet load in the dyer, start a new wash. After work, put wet load in dryer and dry load in hamper. After kids in bed, fold both dry loads. I might be able to finish all of the family's laundry for the week if I stayed home all day Saturday to do it, but that's unreasonable.

Dishwasher runs for at least 45 minutes. I can start it in the morning, but have to unload when I get home. I can start it at night, but have to unload the next morning.

I walk in the house with the mail at 6:00, try to have dinner on the table by 6:30. Sorting the mail and "finishing" it (paying bills, responding to RSVP's, filing coupons, etc.) in that time doesn't work. I do immediately throw away all junk, though.

I try the one-touch rule and to "finish" as much as possible, and it does help to some degree, but for the big things that take time, it's really hard for working parents. Just a vent. It would be nice, and helpful, I'm sure. It's just so hard when you don't have long stretches of time to get things down without sacrificing something else (like dinner, or playtime with kids).

I posted upthread. I work 9 hour days and get one day off every other week. It's been glorious. I can have a completely spotless houses, all errands ran, dinner on the table and all laundry done. Being home all day without a kid is a miracle. Sometimes we travel on my day off and it's like I can't get ahead. I really NEED that day off to make everything right again. Anyways, just a thought.

I don't get any real mail. I have everything on autopay and I do our finances at lunch on my computer.

My washing machine is huge and can fit 2 regular sized loads.

I admire your schedule and the fact that you actually do the chores on your non-work day. I would probably waste at least half the day on DCUM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Whoa what service scans and emails your mail and how much does it cost????

The service I use is called Travelling Mailbox. I think it's like $15/mo. They have a few different plans. Let me tell you this thing is a game changer for me. We are military and we move a lot, and this service has brought me so much piece of mind because I never have to change my address again. It's a minor hassle to set up (you have to fill out a form authorizing them to accept your mail), and then you have to update your new mailing address with your banks, credit cards etc, but after the initial set up, it's phenomenal. I login to my personal inbox and all my mail is scanned and waiting for me. It can be saved as a PDF directly to your computer, mailed to you if you need a hard copy of something, shredded-whatever. They even deposit checks to your bank for you for a fee (which I happily pay bc I'm a landlord). I absolutely love it.

I love this idea. I'm going to look into it, thanks!

+2. game changer. A little security risk but - meh.

[Anonymous]

Interesting that traveling mailbox exists. I don't get much mail, but I've also automated most bill pay and just get electronic EOBs for healthcare. It worries me a little since to be honest I almost never look at my statements since I went electronic. I suppose I really should but for me it's it out of sight out of mind.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Interesting that traveling mailbox exists. I don't get much mail, but I've also automated most bill pay and just get electronic EOBs for healthcare. It worries me a little since to be honest I almost never look at my statements since I went electronic. I suppose I really should but for me it's it out of sight out of mind.

It's great if you move around a lot-military, foreign service, retirees in an RV etc. I've had such headaches with USPS and mail forwarding, and constantly having to change addresses on credit cards, banking statements, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op here. Btw here are the things I am doing frequently
-make bed
-while shower is heating up, wipe down master bath
-clean up DS room (toys, diaper trash, dirty clothes in hamper, clean clothes in drawer, clothes rotated and updated for sizing, too-small clothes in charity box in closet, stock diaper and wipes, pick up various things DS flings from changing table, change out crib sheet, pick up dirty bottles
-prepare DH meals 4x per day, which, admittedly, uses too many dishes, cutting boards, knives, and pans.
-empty the dishwasher first thing in the morning, and load throughout the day no dirty dishes languish
-wipe down, DS, high chair and floor post-meals
-vacuum all day long, even though no shoes worn in our house!
-put away toys in DS's toy area
-one laundry load about every other day, to include my stuff and household linens

Here are the changes I would make:
- Don't make the bed every day until you can tackle some of the annoying projects that are piling up.
- Don't vacuum every day. We have cats and we only vacuum once or twice a week. You just can't do it all.

Today, you should:
-break down boxes
-print out labels to send back failed Amazon xmas presents
-put away tabletop xmas tree and put in the closet
-put laundry away

That will probably take you 30 minutes. If you feel like you're on a roll and can do more, try to deal with the pile of mail. Sort it into joint mail and DH's mail and deal with the joint stuff. You should also have a conversation with him about how you should handle his mail. Maybe he needs to get the mail scanning service so he can deal with his mail while he's away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Stop buying so much stuff from Amazon.

+1 That's a good start!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Housework, housework, why is there so much housework and what am I doing wrong here? The baby is ONE. There's one of him. DH is always traveling, so it's pretty much just me and him. Why is the house always trashed even though I'm always cleaning it? Here's what I see needs doing now:

Boxes of failed Amazon Xmas presents need to be returned.
Boxes of successful Amazon presents need to be broken down and gotten rid of
Tree is taken down (it's a tabletop tree!) and put in a duffel bag. But duffel bag is sitting in the hallway. Duffel bag needs to go in closet hall closet
Pile of mail needs to be dealt with (and I don't even get paper mail anymore! I have a service that scans and emails my mail. This is all DH mail but could be some joint mail)
Stairs cluttered with: stuff DH mailed to himself from a recent conference, Amazon pantry stuff that we don't need yet (or ever) a box of stuff I cleared from the dining room table that looks important enough to save but not important enough to deal with.
Powder room needs a wipe down, actually both bathrooms upstairs need a good wipe down.
All floors need a mop, they look gross even though I vacuum 2x daily!
Pantry needs to be cleared out...pantry items are migrating to counters, and counters are getting cluttered and thus not wiped down well enough
Big bag is waiting to go to charity drop off
Laundry bag is folded but needs to be put away.
Dust bunnies and hair floating about

I pick up all day long, what gives? Why am I still a mess?

You need FLylady

[Anonymous]

The two things that help me the most are
1) focus on the room I'm in. So when feeding the baby in the kitchen, I'm unloading and reloading the dishwasher, straightening up, and making food for later. Then I'm done with the kitchen for a while.
2) prep food in advance. Make an entire box of pasta so the kids can have it without me cooking and spending twenty minutes (then cleaning it all up again). While pasta is cooking, cut up fruit, veggies, chicken, and get the coffee pot ready for the next morning.

[Anonymous]

It's because you have a one year old, a time sucking being, and no backup. DH should stick around more or hire some help, either to take care of baby or clean/organize.

[Anonymous]

It's the after holidays month clean-a-thon. We have three children and my home at different points resembles a hoarder's episode. We are planning a huge STUFF purge, I think that will help.