Let April Spring Cleaning with the Fledglings commence (hopefully Dogsbum wont turn it into too much of a shower....)

[Dogsbumhair]

The fledglings is a long running thread based on the Flylady cleaning/tidying principles. Personally I’m a newbie with only a couple of months flying under my belt but some members of the group have been on the thread for a number of years, so the thread is a mixed group of more and less experienced fledglings. I have found myself to be very warmly received as a newbie so please don’t be scared to join the gang.

Flylady link link here.

The system initially seems quite confusing so my advice as a fellow newbie would be to just go with it and accept that you will probably feel a bit confused for the first couple of weeks and then it will start to come together and make more sense.

The basic principles are (very) loosely as follows:

1. No perfectionism allowed (it is your enemy and it is stopping you getting anything done)
2. Little and often is the way to go (your house didn’t get in a mess in a day, it wont get sorted in one)
3. You are never behind, just jump in where you are (We are in a different zone of the house each week and all the house zones come round once a month, so all the tasks will come round again soon)
4. The point of this system is that by doing little and often your life isn’t dominated by housework and you have more time to do the fun things that you’d much prefer to be doing

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):

1. start or repeat baby steps

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

1. 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 on Flying lessons. Here's the launch pad for more experienced fledglings.

Later on today I will be posting up the links and information for tomorrow’s tasks

The advice from the wise and experienced members of the group is not to subscribe to the emails, but I have to confess that as a foolish newbie I do receive them I have learnt to ruthlessly bin anything beyond the actual flying tasks though.

Hopefully I haven’t missed anything too important off this introduction, but I’m sure someone more experienced will pop up to supplement this information if I have.

Good luck and happy flying through April!……………..

[Dogsbumhair]

First problem with this thread is that none of the links seem to have worked so I will have another go at posting just the links. First pitfall!....

[SofaSpud]

Hi dogsbumhair can I join in please? Will a list of tasks be posted next? I really need this; my home is a disgrace at the moment, I have no excuses either, 3 dcs have moved out this year. The effect of no pressure has turned me the other way and I've been rather slovenly! I do have three big dogs and work full time though. Looking forward to the tasks

[Dogsbumhair]

Hi SofaSpud you are extremely welcome to join in. I will be posting the links that didn't work in first message asap and then the tasks for tomorrow a bit later on today.

I'm sure some other thread members will be along soon too and they will also welcome you. Will post the missing links asap.....

[Dogsbumhair]

Ok, here's hoping that the links work this time....

Flylady link www.flylady.net/

More info on getting started www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/

Flying lessons info www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/flying-lessons/

Launch pad for more experienced fledglings www.flylady.net/c/lp.php

[ToffeeWhirl]

Thank you for starting the new thread, Dogsbum. Those links are all working fine .

[Dogsbumhair]

Thanks Toffee that's great news.... Hopefully things will be smoother from here on in....fingers crossed anyway....

[MrsMook]

Sneaks back in discretely... March wasn't great. It was hectic at work, plus illness and a weekend away. Then a few extras like taking Ds2 to the doctors, and suddenly the laundry is 6 feet high, and we're messed up with floor grunge spreading from the kitchen outwards...

School holidays now so time to reclaim from the forces of chaos. We've had a steady campaign for a few days now.

[Dogsbumhair]

Welcome back MrsMook!

[Greymalkin]

Big wing flaps to Toffee and MrsMook and a warm welcome to SofaSpud

[Steadycampaign]

[Parks broomstick in naughty corner and waves thanks to Greymalkin ]

Well done Dogsbum!! Thank you so much for shiny new thread!! The links are brill!! Love the title !!

Helloooo all!! [SC here!] Hope you don't mind me nicking my new nn from your post just now MrsMook! Hope things go more smoothly for you over the holidays and that you manage to catch up on r&r too! We've had a lot of illness here and it is amazing how it can set you back (and I don't work the hrs you do).

A very warm welcome to Sofaspud! [What sort of dogs do you have if you don't mind me asking. I am dog-dithering atm - wondering whether to add a rescue mutt to our menagerie!!]

[ToffeeWhirl]

Dogsbum - woohoo! You are off to a Flying start!

[Pasithea]

Just looked at all of this for first time. WTF. Launch pads hot areas bloody hell. My sink isn't even stainless steel so wouldn't shine in a month.

Naaaaw. Life's Tooo short. Back to good book and duvet.

[BitchyDoesWitchyThings]

Nice title Dogsbum well done on the links, you will find it easy as you go through, just remember that some of the links don't update until midnight but do automatically update so you need to be on the ball a bit. Eg daily focus links, baby steps links. But you can tweak from the links easily. Copy and paste the existing link and on the daily focus just check that the right day is showing at the end of the link you have just copied. Generally prior to midnight you need to change it eg from Wednesday to thursday. It is easier in practise than it sounds.

Ds is currently shouting down the phone but at least he has opted for a lazy replacement tea after the planned tea was scuppered by tea not defrosting sufficiently. One day he will discover an inside voice lives in hope but it won't be today

[Moonwatching]

Waves & contemplates trying to keep up with thread. I will at least keep up with the babysteps no matter that I started them 3 days ago & it's all gone wrong already ! And if I don't, I'll jump right in & not try to catch up.
In order to keep up with babystep 1, I'm going to do washing up regularly - set timer for 15mins. If I do this at least twice a day it shouldn't build up into ridiculous mountain that feels like it'll take forever. Had enough of how things have been going for a while & it's got to change for my sanity and health.

[Steadycampaign]

Sounds like you are on to it Moonwalking! Good luck with the washing up! And remember Flylady always builds in a few er, fallow, days in to the baby-steps for precisely the circs you describe!!

Pasithea Book and duvet? You sound like you are made for this thread! Seriously!!

Waves to bitchy and eveyrone else!

[Dogsbumhair]

Welcome to April and my first attempt at posting daily tasks…deep breath and fingers crossed it works……

............I'm posting early so that if the links don't work again I've got time to get it sorted. I can't get any links to work for me at the moment on Mumsnet, not just mine, so can people have a go and see if they work, thanks

Baby-step no. 1 for Wed 1st April is Shine your sink Also included in link is a long explanation (for newcomers) about baby-steps in general, and detailed instructions on how to shine your sink!

As the name states this is a really thorough clean of your sink. It might feel a bit silly and pointless if your house is in total chaos but I found it helped to give me a starting point and sort of got my head in the zone ready to start the Flylady system, so give it a go if you’re a newbie like me is my advice.

We are in Zone 1 The Entrance, Porch and Dining Room for the rest of this week: here

Best to suit zones to suit your own home. or use the Flylady model to start, and then adapt as the entire system becomes clearer to you. For example, I don’t have an entrance area or porch, but I do have a shoe rack in the dining room that I count as my porch/entrance area.

If you want to, you can declutter for 15 mins a day in Zone 1!

The detailed cleaning list (if you are at that stage) for Zone 1 is here

Wednesday’s mission is here but if it’s as wet, cold and windy where you are as it is here I would not advise putting away your winter shoes, boots, hats and scarves and getting out your sandals and suncream as she suggests! I feel cold just at the thought of it brrr….!

The daily focus for Wednesday is: Anti-Procrastination Day This is the day to do whatever it is that you are putting off, e.g. book doctors appt, pay a bill, etc.

The monthly habit for April is making your bed

For a summary of the above, see the flight plan: here

Good luck and I pray that the links actually work this time. Someone more experienced please do let me know if I’ve done any of this wrong or missed anything off, etc..…

[BitchyDoesWitchyThings]

Links all work, the flight plan will automatically update to wednesday at midnight. Well done!

[Dogsbumhair]

Thanks for letting me know Bitchy that's good to hear that it has worked. Hopefully now that I've done it once it will be easier......Glad you liked the title

I assume that Steady is Sling, got confused at first and thought you were Bitchy as she'd mentioned a potential name change, starting to see why name changing is confusing....

Thanks Grey Steady and Toffee for your encouragement and thanks for the

[BitchyDoesWitchyThings]

oh i have not changed yet. SC tends to stick to names that can be shortened to sc. I otoh have a really bad habit of multiple name changes. there are many fledglings that start to twitch when i start mentioning name changing oopsies?

[Dogsbumhair]

Bitchy just seen your comment on hail on the March Thread where you are, we had the same, it's been unbelievable weather wise today. At one point there was so much hail coming down that it was actually starting to settle, I couldn't believe it, what is going on?!...

[BitchyDoesWitchyThings]

Northwest Dogsbum I actually think it is affecting a wide chunk of the UK from various posts on my FB time line. Not sure why I am surprised though, I have few memories of a nice sunny Easter. This sort of weather seems to be more normal than nice weather at easter Good old Uk weather. Love it or hate it, it is never boring

[WhoKnowsWhereTheChocolateGoes]

Thank you Dogsbum. And thank you SC for the March thread.

I did really well on the home bleugh today, it's so much easier when the house is tidy. Tomorrow I have a car boot full of discarded stuff to sort and take to charity shop and tip. I've also planted lots of seeds tonight, made Easter eggs with the DCs and been to parents evening.

Weatherwise - very windy, scattered showers, no hail yet.

[MercuryRising]

Hello lovely fledglings! I know it is numerous months since I last posted but can I rejoin you? We put the house on the market this week so I have loads of decluttering and cleaning to do in preparation for selling and moving and it would be lovely to chat and catch up with you all whilst doing it.

[Steadycampaign]

Yes, sorry, it's "Sling/Steady" here

Congrats on successful first set of links Dogsbum!! Heading off to bed now, but I'm now told that I don't have to give up computer until lunchtime tomorrow, so will check in again in the morning!

Whoknows you are really giving me hope and making me want to work better and go further with Flying!! So good to know the system works when you really stick at it!! Congrats on a clutter free home bleugh!!

G'night all!!

[Steadycampaign]

x posts! Yay! Welcome back Mercury!