Friday, March 19, 2010

Won't You Please, Please Help Me?


In the words of the Beattles "Help me if you can, I'm feeling down. And I do appreciate you being 'round. Help me get my feet back on the ground. Won't you please, please help me?"

Okay, so I'm not so sure about my timing for this post. If you are reading this today you are probably feeling like relaxing for the weekend. And I realize these pictures that I'm about to show you are not relaxing to look at!

But here we go into another weekend, a whole workweek has gone by, and I'd love to have everything done, the house clean, things organized, so that our family can go off and enjoy this beautiful Northwest weather and not have to worry about finding a clean matching outfit for church on Sunday morning!

I am having a laundry crisis! It was just a laundry problem, but my ideas for making this work, in a house with seven people, as an organizationally challenged individual, have turned into more of a path toward insanity!


Yes, I had to pry the door open, although I was tempted just to leave it shut and stay outside. Scary huh? And don't mind the gross old 70's flooring. Soon, that will change:)



I'm an oldest child and according to Kevin Leman, and my self-diagnosis, I am a "discouraged perfectionist" with emphasis on the discouraged part at the moment! I like to work with systems when it comes to house cleaning. My usual one is that I start at one end and work my way to the other. My husband thinks it's funny to watch as I move my piles from coffee table to dining table to kitchen counters before I eventually put things where they go. But it works.

My laundry system is NOT working! My plan was to wash my husbands, mine, Ruby's and Brayden's clothes on Monday. They'd be washed, folded and put away. Tuesday I am only home in the afternoon, so I'd wash Emma's clothes and any bedding that's needing it and after school Azzie and Shariah would each wash their own clothes. Again they'd all be folded and put away the same day. Wednesday was for getting caught up on anything I missed. The other days theoretically I would be only doing laundry on a need to wear basis and most likely washing a load each day. Sound a little crazy? Are you confused?

So, it's been about six weeks and that system has failed over and over. Now it's Friday and my laundry room looks like these pictures (they were taken last week so there is your proof that this cycle is repeating itself!)

Yeah, what is the definition of insanity? Trying the same thing and expecting different results right? Where did that definition of insanity come from anyway?? Just wondering...

This is my "folding table". I've since taken out the table, unloaded most of the stuff on it at the Goodwill, and my husband is going to be installing lower cabinets, so how can I make sure they don't ever look like this??

I would love my bedroom to be my place of rest and relaxation. But how, when there's always clothes to fold and socks to match...

This is a chair that would be so relaxing to sit in a curl up with a good book...if it wasn't piled with clean clothes...always...


So, I need help. Advice. Seriously I give up! Or I need cheap laundry service to come and do this for me.

I need encouragement too. I mentioned that I was discouraged and it's so true. I seriously want to close the door of the laundry room and announce that we're becoming nudists. I think Ruby and Brayden and maybe even Emma would absolutely love that idea, but no one else is going to go for that. They might ship me off somewhere...hmmm...sounds nice...

4 comments:

Angela said...

Oh Jewel...I love how honest this post is. I wish I had a magic answer for you but, as I only do laundry for 3 people, I can't say that I know exactly what you're dealing with.
I'll tell you what I do though. I try to stay caught up on the laundry so that I never get overwhelmed. I get overwhelmed easily so, it's best if I just stay caught up on stuff. I do a load and then get it in the dryer, as soon as I can after it's dry, I fold it, right there on top of the dryer and make piles for each room that the clothes go in. Then I walk the folded piles to the appropriate room and write on my list that I need to put them away. I keep a list going all the time or else I go back to that overwhelmed stuff.
This probably isn't much help to you but, I just wanted you to know that I appreciated your transparency and I'll be praying for you!!!

Megan said...

Well, considering I am THE EXACT SAME {discouraged perfectionist with a ROOM filled to the brim with clean clothes that haven't found their home} I'm not sure that I have a solution for you. But I've got empathy and understanding! I hope you're able to find something that works for you because with only two people in this house, my "plans" {non-existent} aren't working and I think I need help too. LOL (((HUGS)))

Christabelle said...

I hate laundry and I hate dishes! They both seem to pile up here! There's a category for what I go through as an oldest? I had no idea! What I do know is that my husband now does his own laundry. I was embarrassed about it at first, but it guarantees it gets done. I've weeded out the clothes util there's just enough for each drawer and no more. And I play relay races with the kids to get them to put it all away (do not underestimate the power of races with younger kids!). Less clothes means the kids wear them more, but it's helped some. But I'm liable to go crazy otherwise!

My love to you! Do you have a friend who'd come hang out and fold clothes or something? It seems like folding is the think I like least! I know it's a hard one to ask, but sometimes its needed!

Jenn said...

It cracks me up how many posts I have seen lately on laundry!! I hate it too... it piles so high sometimes... we clothe ourselves from the floor way to often!! =) One day I plan on conquering this thorn in my side!! Perhaps one day you will to... no worries... until then don't forget to laugh!

Favorite quote of mine...

If all else fails... lower your expectations!

love it!

now nude is too low!! ha ha!

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