October-fest: a fledgling (at best) might spruce up its nest (then take a rest?).

[strictlycaballine]

Welcome to the October 2012 Fledgling Flyers thread. Park your mops, buckets, microfibre cloths, golden dusters and spiders-web-removing-implements here!

A huge "thank you" to Whoknows and Pushme for leading us throughout September!! (Hope you are recovering well Whoknows - take it steady!)

If your house is a mess and you are strugging with C.H.A.O.S. (can't have anyone over syndrome) and S.T.U.F.F. (something that undermines family fun) then this is the thread where we (loosely) follow the step-by-step Flylady housekeeping system (in our own, unique, relaxed style) with lots of chat, support and along the way.

This little-and-often system is designed so that you can follow a series of steps and routines each day (which gradually become second nature) in weekly designated zones of the house; defining and minimising housework - which in theory should leave you with more time to do other more interesting things instead! At the same time it is intended to reduce that panicky "rabbit in headlights" feeling when you are overwhelmed and everything needs doing all at once. No problem if you miss a day or two; just jump right back in and it will all come around next month again anyway!

We advise not signing up to receive the Flylady e-mails as you will be inundated! All the information you need will be linked here on a daily basis.

From the first of the month, we will be following Flylady's steps and routines using a three-pronged approach (dependent on the stage everyone is at):

• start or repeat baby steps
  

• repeat baby steps + do 15 mins a day decluttering in the current zone
  

• reinforce babysteps and do daily missions if you have finished decluttering.
  

[And if you are really enthusiastic and have finished decluttering - you can go on to detailed deep cleaning in each zone.]

More info here on getting started, and the flylady system here and here Don't be put off by the barf-tastic language of the site - the underlying system is sound.

All welcome!!

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes]

Yay! I'm in (and out again). See you all soon!

[strictlycaballine]

[Flaps wings encouragingingly at Whoknows]

[BitchyDragons]

Is it really nearly October already

[laurenamium]

I'm in !

Thank you whoknows and pmpy for last month and thank you sc for this month!!

[feetheart]

It can't be nearly October already

I'm hoping for better things Flying-wise as I want a nice house by Christmas

[CarpeJugulum]

In. But definitely not starting anything until October. Probably. Unless I feel like it. Possibly. Aww hell... new threads are just too inspiring.

[strictlycaballine]

Arf at Feetheart's and Carpe's "contrasting" levels of determination

Now don't panic everyone. October doesn't start until Monday.

[Decides that this is possibly not the best moment to mention that there are only 90 days between now and Christmas ]

Starting this thread now cos we're going away for a few days, back Sun night, so you can all hold your fire until the end of the wk.

Bitchy has kindly agreed to oversee this thread and welcome newcomers until I get back.

[Sorry about crapola title by the way ... rushing ...]

'See you' Sunday!

[ToffeeWhirl]

Thanks, SC. Your heading made me .

[ToffeeWhirl]

For those looking for weekly Christmas 'to do' lists in the run up to the big event, a Flylady Christmas countdown was posted by jas in 2010 and it can be reread here.

[CarpeJugulum]

Oooh. Thanks Toffee!

Been planning to think about Christmas, and that might make it a bit easier

[Engelsemama]

Marking my spot!

[rowingboat]

Hi all, it's me again! I am still reading your posts, but my one hot spot has been ruined again. Covered in bags - the kitchen table. It's like a bag magnet!
Will be back tomorrow to kick off the month with a flying start!

[BlueEyeshadow]

Runs in, waves to all, runs out again.

I'll be back properly tomorrow...

[NotQuitePerfect]

Would love to join in ....

[Jamillalliamilli]

Think you just have NotQuitePerfect, welcome.

[Jamillalliamilli]

Jas and Toffee, for reposting.

[BitchyDragons]

Jump on board NQP and Welcome!!!!

[MsOnatopp]

Oh A new thread. Hurray :o

(Only just spotted this... )

[elliepac]

Am loving the thread title sc.

Signing in for 36th another month of abject failure.

See you tomorrow!

[elliepac]

And welcome notquiteperfect.

[NickNacks]

Oh crap. Suppose I'd better come back. Have failed miserably on my own and with less than 3 months until Christmas I need to get the house finished decluttering and i'm so close to finishing that I might as well give it that final push.

Oh plus I love chatting to you ladies :)

[strictlycaballine]

[paws ground with hoof/tosses mane/jogs about on the spot] Neeiggghhhhhh!! Hallloooooooooooooooo!! Hope you all had a great w/e!

Back from a busy/horsey/sunny weekend in the Netherlands [always strikes me how much cleaner/tidier/ordered it is than Belgium Engels (in the towns and the countryside - even the veggies are grown in neater rows!!!] Fab weather and much fun had by all.

A bit cream crackered now and still have to iron dd's uniform for tomorrow so no huge round-up tonight I'm afraid (and I'm afraid that might hold true for rest of month too what with new commitment to art course etc) but just wanted to say:

[surveys neat row of mops, buckets and microfibre cloths]

Bitchy thanks for overseeing such an orderly queue and for not scaring away too many newcomers

Whoknows so relieved and happy for you that all done and all OK!! Hope your dh is spoiling you rotten and is beginning to appreciate all you do in the normal course of things. 'Tis a very good sign that you are feeling bored -but don't go and overdo it!! Thanks again for keeping us all on the straight and narrow throughout September

A very warm welcome to Notquiteperfect any questions, don't hesitate to ask

Thanks again for looking after us at the end of the month Pushme What a bummer about your washing machine - can just about survive hand-washing with adults in the house but no joke at all with littlies

Justgettingonwithit Ditto what Whoknows said. I can't believe that you have been flooded again after everything you have already gone through - that is so unfair. Hats off to you for keeping going throughout it all.

Arf at abominable monk Swan Hope singing went well

Ellie Utterly fab news about your cm!!

Sorry we'll be losing you Kickboxer hope the situation improves for you

Nicknacks/Ellie re: "failing miserably"/ "abject failure" last month - me too!! (Not that "failure" is a concept we recognise on the Fledgling thread of course ) but strayed from the Flylady path last month and decided to "just declutter" ended up - in effect - doing naff all. Back to small steps and all that ...

Thanks to Toffee/Jas for Christmas count down ...

Huge waves to Rowingboat Engels MrsOnatopp Blue¨Carpe Lauren Feetheart PA and everyone else!!

Back in a mo to post first step ...

[strictlycaballine]

*

OK everyone ... it's time to don your tan tights and lace up your shoes ....here it is again... the first baby-step of the month ...

[chants mantra "I will do the babysteps/missions/decluttering properly and regularly this month", "I will do the babysteps/missions/decluttering properly and regularly this month", "I will do the babysteps/missions/decluttering properly and regularly this month" ]

Tomorrow is Monday 1st October and baby-step number one is here! Shine your sink!!

More info for newcomers on how to do this here

More general info on starting out: general flying lessons here and

baby-step flying lesson worth re-reading - consistency being the key etc

Tomorrow (and all this week) we will be starting again in Zone 1: Entrance, Front Porch, and Dining Room. Try and spend 15 mins decluttering in this zone per day. If you have already decluttered, you can go on to detailed cleaning. More info here

Tomorrow's mission - multi-room hot- spotting that might take more than 15 mins - (and all the missions for the week) are here

The daily focus for Monday is : here the home blessing, or as we call it "home bleugh" It takes on average one hour but many of us who are struggling with clutter take longer

The habit for October will be: getting rid of paper clutter [boy do I need to do that - we are drowning in it!!] More info here [scroll down - there are some good pointers in the article]

If I've missed anything, have a look at tomorrow's flight plan which should update automatically with the date. It also explains that Flylady (in order to help us all declutter for the Christmas holidays) is suggesting that we do a Super Fling Boogie in every zone starting this week until the end of October.

Hope you will forgive posting of steps/missions/zones separately the "old fashioned" way but it helps my jaded brain retain what I am supposed to be doing and where ...

And newcomers - please don't be put off by all the above info. I've made it seem a lot more complicated than it really is (honest )!! You don't have to understand the whole system all at once - it will become clear as you do it - step by step. Establish one routine at a time and don't feel pressured in to doing it all at once.

We can do it!! Hope you all have a v. productive week!!

------------------------------

[strictlycaballine]

Oh yes, before I go, just want to present Justgettingonwithit with the

"Stalwart of the month award"

and it's not even the first yet!!

[laurenamium]

Just wanted to apologies for going AWOL again have also spent the weekend with horses and a 9 mile ride on a naughty horse on Saturday has made me ache like I've never ached before!

I'll be back tomorrow full of motivation I'm sure