April's Fledgling Fliers: there's no fooling the Fat Fairy this month.

[elliepac]

In a blatant steal from last month's thread:

So here we are, April already.

So for those who don't know the fledglings is a long running thread. Some of us seem clicky but that is because we have been chatting on these threads for nearly half a decade makes everyone feel old we quite like fresh blood though so feel free to jump in and join us.

Three key points to keep in mind:
(1)No perfectionism allowed - this is harder than you would imagine
(2)You are never behind just start where you are and anything you do is progress.
(3) It didn't get into a mess overnight, it won't get tidy over night - accept it will take time to get on top of things and you will be happier.

If you are new then trying to spend 15mins decluttering and the babysteps is the most. Some of us Bitchy can have scary looking lists. One word of advice ignore them. Do what you can, anything is better then nothing, and don't judge yourself against others

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes]

Thank you Ellie and thank you Bitchy for last month.

[BlueEyeshadow]

Thank you, Ellie and Bitchy!



Is it too early to add some ?

[elliepac]

Never too early blue

[GoingGoingGoth]

Marking place

to Bitchy & Ellie

I hope to do better this month (although I'm off to my parents for 10 days)

[MercuryRising]

Im back for another go

[Swanhildapirouetting]

I'm trying hard to get doing small things. Like move dirty glass from a - b

Put a load of laundry in, whenever I can whatever time of day it is
Learn to pair up socks

April is for gardening!!!

[MercuryRising]

It is all those small things that make the difference swan My dsis lives by the mantra "if it takes less than five minutes do it now" and her house is very tidy and organised - I wish I could stay on top of the small things it would make life a lot easier!

[MercuryRising]

It is all those small things that make the difference swan My dsis lives by the mantra "if it takes less than five minutes do it now" and her house is very tidy and organised - I wish I could stay on top of the small things it would make life a lot easier!

[pushmepullyou]

Better luck for me this month

April is going to be the month of decluttering in this house. I am going to throw away at least 27 things every single day.

Thankyouverymuch

So there.

[pushmepullyou]

Ooo yes, gardening as well swan . I am going to do at least 60 mins gardening a week and hopefully it won't be too bad this year!

[EustaciaVye]

Sorry I haven't been posting much. Must try harder

[ToffeeWhirl]

ellie - thank you so much for starting this thread, especially after all you've been through recently. How are you feeling now?

Bitchy - for your sterling work last month. Much appreciated. Hope you get your IT problems sorted soon.

Off to watch season finale of 'Walking Dead' now, then finishing OU assignment (I hope).

[Swanhildapirouetting]

I've had a brilliant thought! Every time I post I have to throw ONE thing away...starting from now...

So that will be the yoghurt pot in front of me

done
more washing
more tidying (not much)
watched Rev. I love it, never seen it before..
now waiting for ds2's blazer to wash on express.

Toffee We discuss all the stuff at length and then I cobble together something from what ds has said (he has a habit of ranting rather than dictating), then he reads it back to me. I suppose that is a form of scribing...Unfortunately it is a bit too coherent. However it does provide some information for him to look back at, so he actually sees he has covered the topic. The teachers know what level he is really at from his class work. They see I am bothering to go over the work with him. The bit in between is the problem He is also quite articulate in class and can repeat back to me what he knows and understands. But what he cannot do is essays or extended writing or complex evaluation. I feel like I am operating in a parallel world sometimes.

Better go to bed now. Honestly sometimes I just feel Year 7 is like a bad dream, just one long slog of uniform, homework and getting up early. Where's our life gone? (luckily I think the children feel slightly differently, especially dd who seems absorbed, if bolshy)

[ToffeeWhirl]

Swan - brilliant idea about the decluttering!

Your son sounds similar to mine, in that there is a huge gap between what he produces himself and what he can dictate or articulate. The results are so different as to seem to be from different children. DS1 certainly couldn't manage an essay or extended writing, let alone complex evaluation - and he is meant to be starting GCSEs next year (it's not going to happen, that's for sure).

'Where's our life gone?' Something we often wonder here too.

[dizzyday07]

For the last day of March, I managed to actually do some flying. Yeah!

I did nothing on Sunday, and DD (with DH's help) cooked a 3 course meal for dinner. It was quite bizarre hearing him tell her to clean/wash up as they went along. Think it was a bit of do as I say not as I do!!

Today's Ta Da's

• Emptied D/W
  
• Rewashed bits DH hadn't hand washed properly and bits from the overfull D/W that were still dirty
  
• Cleaned down cooker top and cupboard door fronts
  
• Cleaned bathrooms
  
• Hoovered through upstairs
  
• Beds changed
  
• Bed linen washed and hung out to dry
  
• Kitchen floor swept
  
• Bins emptied and put out
  
• Dry towels folded and put away
  
  DD's class (with Yr3) is putting on a version of Roald Dahl's Snow White. Tonight was their first proper performance so I went along to watch. I have to sit through it again tomorrow afternoon and then again tomorrow night with DH. Luckily it's quite funny in places so not too much of a burden.

[MercuryRising]

The decluttering when posting is a good one Swan

To do before school:
Wm reloaded
Washing on line
Packed lunches
Make beds
Dw reloaded and on
Text book found
Note written to dds teacher
Kitchen sides wiped
Pork chop out for dps dinner

Im going to try breaking my day into chunks and see if that helps to keep me motivated

[MercuryRising]

That was supposed to say good idea Swan

[themoneyone]

Would love to join this month, if that's all right? House is ok, but with 2 toddlers, it often gets neglected.

Love lists and am also a keen declutter-er. Started project 365 at the start of the year and have just 85 items to go.

So, first things first - get everyone dressed and fed, dw and wm on, kitchen wiped, make mega list. Here goes...

[MercuryRising]

Welcome themoneyone

I completed my morning list apart from finding the text book in the dumping ground that is my desk

[elliepac]

Good morning one and all and a happy April to you all.

Here is today's babystep. The ubiquitous shining of the sink

The Flight Plan

The focus for today is planning

The zone this week is Hall, Porch and Dining Room

And here is the mission

Have a good day everyone!

[elliepac]

WHat have we all been up to?

themoneyone joined us . Welcome. The leader for the month (that'll be me ) posts daily links to the babysteps and to detailed cleaning for those of us that are further down the flylady line (not many of us.......that is why we are called fledgling fliers ) Any questions please ask .

blue started us off the way we mean to go on with cake, coffee and wine. She, rather stupidly, asked if it was too early for wine. We all know the answer to that.....so much so that I am not going to answer that question .

swan had an epiphany re decluttering and shared her genius with the rest of us. She also declared that April was for gardening. I am waiting for the gardening gene to kick in. I reckon one day I will reach a certain age and I will suddenly like gardening. There is no month for gardening in my psyche. Tis my birthday on Friday. Maybe it will happen then (she says wistfully gazing upon the the local tip....sorry, my garden).

mercury emerged into April with renewed vigour and successfully completed her morning list. Therefore, she is awesome...fact. Just got to keep it up now .

pushme also entered April with grand plans. She is going to throw away 27 things daily and do 60 minutes of that silly gardening malarkey every week. If she does this, she will rock...though she rocks anyway .

toffee was pondering where her life had gone. Deep and meaningful for the first day of the month. But a common thought I suspect. Did she watch the last episode of Walking Dead last night ellie wonders?

dizzy finished March is a flurry of success. Well Done .

ellie's sick note is on the verge of running out. SHe needs to get back into this flying malarkey and pull her finger out. Unfortunately, over the sick period, she has developed an unhealthy obsession with a programme called Criminal Minds and is finding it rather hard to do anything other than watch it. The mother is coming for lunch today so she had better snap out of it fast. SHe will be back later with some flying to report...after 1 episode on Criminal Minds .

[AliceDoesntLiveHereAnymore]

Just me, making a reappearance, after an appalling amount of time. I've left my "winter wonderland" in hopes of better weather and returned to my previous name again. Personal life went boom! and had to make myself absent for a bit, but now I'm back on track (sort of) and hoping to be more productive again. hi everyone!

ta da
school run (only one, as one child ill today)
lots of coffee (up most of night with said ill child)
list of things to do made
clothes in washer
washing up done
tidied up kitchen

to do
sweep downstairs
mop downstairs (after DCs are in bed)
tidy up dining room (and do a bit of decluttering)
organise storage units in dining room with a view to emptying one and getting rid (slowly trying to decrease the "stuff" in dining room!)
school run this afternoon
bake something - cake? cookies? (I suppose choosing a recipe should also be on my "to do" list )
finish laundry and put away

Tomorrow I have DIY to do, so hopefully DC will be feeling better and off to school again. (fingers crossed!)

[elliepac]

Welcome back alice.

[BitchytheGreat]

Right, I am back. Was close though thought i would need to beg HQ for permission after the first password reset failed

Thank you ever so much for taking over Ellie glad you are starting to feel a bit better. But just remember slowly slowly. And NOTHING heavy!

I did have plans for today but I have kinda lost the way as people's plans kinda made mine obsolete.

Planning day: hmm I know this should be used for meal planning, budgeting or what not but I think i might make this finishing the obsession sheet for ds and the homeschool worksheet that has melted my brain during past attempts.

Craft projects: killed off 3 UFOs last month, but still have a huge list to work through. Currently working on a baby blanket. tis very cute though. Aim this month is to kill off a few more projects from the UFO/Urgent list. I have 2 I need to add to the to do list this year. But not this month. Perhaps next month. And don't get me started on the USPs/UFOs for the to be killed list part 2 I am considering writing a blog with the adventures through these lists.

Missions: Hahahahaha nope. tbh the porch is tidy, the hall has a duvet that needs putting away in the boy's box in the lounge and the dining room is burried under a computer that needs attention. I might tackle tht later. But depends if I can be arsed.

My to do list is a bit of a changing feat today but the urgent essential things are not going to change:

Change ds' dentist appointment
iron ds' school shirts and put his clothes away
wash my bedding
put my bed back on my bed.
Check critical processes on computer
Wash ds' bedding

I have a ta da list. It is short. Don't panic
Sort out all accounts with lost passwords
Internet admin (fb/email etc)
Virus scan computer x2

[slackcabbage]

Morning all!

Ellie Brilliant of you to run this thread when you are still recovering! (Love the title too.) Great to hear you are feeling more yourself as well! Is Criminal Minds the one where the chief bod never moves his facial muscles? and they start each episode with a quote, such as, "Show me your garden and I shall tell you who you are." Like the geeky genius one with the photographic memory!

Thank you Bitchy (and Feetheart) for last month's thread .

Bitchy hope computer mended soon! And get back on here soon with some special brew will you? Getting caffeine withdrawal.

A warm welcome to themoneyone! Good luck with the continued decluttering!

Swan speaking of decluttering, your idea about getting rid of one item every time you post is pure genius! [That should take care of at least 15 things today then [wink ]

Dizzy Missing in Action! Of course! And re your previous job. Do you think you will go back to it one day? Enjoy Snow White x 3!

Big waves to Blue Mercury Toffee Pushme and everyone else!

Should be doing something creative (Tues) but have too many ants in the pants. Dh is travelling and keeps ringing me every five mins to locate papers somewhere in the house, or to reorganise something we have already organised. Sil is very upset because fil's health took another serious dip last night (we've been there before and he has always rallied so praying that will be the case again). DD is stressed because of her maths exam (geometry today). I need to just block it all out and forge ahead. Will start with the laundry.

Big feathery waves!