[MAK]

I do not know wher our iron lives or if we have a board for it  I had to take 2 T shirts of the washing line today - one at 07:00 and the second at 16:00 as the first was wet with sweat. I am on my third T shirt now and all will be put in a bin at the top of the stairs and next appear on the washing line. G-d moves in great ways.

[Bill the brew]

Hi..I always end up making more mess as I multi task and get fed up so go out to feed the chickens and ducks then forget I have the draws tipped out, the dog beds tipped out and rubbish all over the place!! The answer is get some one in!! I do...hubby!

[Lesley Silvester]

My OH does most of the housework too.  I get to do the dusting and cooking. Dusting gets done when ever it needs it - when I'm expecting visitors.   
 
We have laminate throughout the ground floor except the sitting room.  I chose one that was called ancient oak because it looked dirty.  That way no one will notice.   
 
When I had my first house,my mum used to come round and as she was saying hello, would wipe her finger along the mantlepiece.  We got rid of the fire place so the only surface that needed dusting was the top of the TV.  I kept a tin of spray polish behind it (lavendar) and when I saw her car pull up, rub my sleeve across the top of the tv and spray polish into the room.  She wouold sniff as she entered and say how nice it looked.  Now I live miles from her so don't have to worry.
 
My fridge magnet says, "Excuse the mess. We wanted you to feel at home."  Creative people are naturally messy.  I am creative.   

[Polished Arrow]

I do not know wher our iron lives or if we have a board for it  I had to take 2 T shirts of the washing line today - one at 07:00 and the second at 16:00 as the first was wet with sweat. I am on my third T shirt now and all will be put in a bin at the top of the stairs and next appear on the washing line. G-d moves in great ways.

Neil!  Is that you?!
...
I never realised my OH was called MAK online and registered on this place 




We moved into this farm last August, and it was already fitted with perfectly serviceable, but utterly unsuitable, WHITE carpets and floor tiles     
To keep such stupid floor coverings clean would a) be too much work to be worth the effort and b) mean they would have a longer life than they deserve!


My favourite place to visit when I was a child was the messiest house on our street, lived in by an older lady who everyone else thought was a bit batty, but who was probably the most deep thinking and intelligent person I have had the pleasure of knowing.  And the most interesting. 


Wear your busy-ness and interesting life with pride! 

[VSS]

Housework is not a priority, and I hate doing it, but I like it better when it is done. With two adults and three rapidly growing kids (15,11,and 10) all squashed into a small two bedroomed house it gets grubby very quickly and there is a constant problem with space.

Most of the visitors we get here are fellow smallholders and farmers - I have never felt that any of them are turning their noses up because the place is a tip (although I admit to hoping that they don't need to use the bathroom!). No animals in the house - I am not fussy about hygiene on the whole but draw the line at dogs and cats in the house. No way!

You just have to muddle along as best you can - at the end of the day it is your house and it is you that has to live in it, so no-one else has the right to make any judgements about it.

I have just done a "full" clean of the kitchen and bathroom today - first time without cobwebs in ages. Funny how the rooms seem so much bigger!

[princesspiggy]

we rarely have inside tidy at the same time as outside,
we often have goat kids/lambs etc in the house but are lucky to have wood/tiled floors.
we do keep the dogs in the porch now as they made far too much mess in the house as they are always outside getting muddy.
visiting kids with white clothes and socks, do not leave the same colour!
in the winter we have a thick layer of dust from the woodburners, but rarely have visitors in winter as its too cold, we r used to it, but those used to central heating, go blue!
i wouldnt worry xx 

[Polished Arrow]

Ours are outside dogs too, having a kennel and run of their own out by the barn (filled with straw in the winter!).  I agree that that helps keep the excessive mud and dust out of the house.  If thre is ice on the pond, however, we pop them in the boiler room for the night.





Shame you can't do the same with the rest of the family, though 

[Herdygirl]

I also struggle the upkeep of the house, a smallholding (in various places) and a full time job.  what works for me is when i am cooking i mentally tell myself to 'put it away' after, also i have 'just a minute' jobs... they really only take a minute, i.e polish the mirror, hoover the carpet, put away ironing (which i hate with a passion)  it does make life a bit easier and a bit less clutter, also the black bin bag twice a week is very useful 

[deepinthewoods]

'put it away'

therein lies the key...

[northfifeduckling]

we don't have enough places for stuff to be put away to 

[Small Farmer]

i love the self-cleaning spaniel coat which cleans itself on any piece of soft furnishing it happens against.

[suziequeue]

We were walking around the new house yesterday and I realise that there are no less than five different places for coats - three cupboards and two rows of hooks - plus there will be big school coats hooks on the back of every door.


The boot room is going to be just that - with a big double row of cubby holes for shoes and a row of taller cubby holes under a bench for boots (and of course a long line of hooks...... and a high shelf for hats........) .


 

[Bionic]

I wish we had a boot room.  The wet weather has shown me just how essential it is
Sally

[MAK]

A boot room, air lock or decontamination room would be great.
Our back door goes straight from our kitchen/living area so when it is hot grasshopers and lizzards follow me in, wet - frogs sit on the step and the floor gets muddy, cold - snow stays on the floor a few hours and we waste valuable heat with an open door.
We have had carpet in our third floor bedroom since March but to my knowledge it has not been hoovered. I hope the OH does not read this 

[bazzais]

The best way to feel better about your own farmhouse is to go and visit another farmhouse - cos the majority of them are - well - farmhouses.

There is always far more important things to do than tidy the house.  You could say that having time to tidy is actually a luxury commodity.