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Swooping into September - Flylady fledglings assemble!

881 replies

MogTheSleepyCat · 31/08/2020 21:40

First of all, a big thank you to SingToTheSky for leading us through the August thread, (you can park your mop and hang up your duster now)

If you are struggling 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 support and chatter along the way.

The FlyLady link is here . Don't be put off by the twee language of the site – we all agree that the underlying system is very effective.

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 zones of the house which are designated weekly; defining and minimising housework - which in theory should leave you with loads more time to do something more interesting 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 again next month.

It's up to you, but we advise not signing up to receive the Flylady e-mails as you will be swamped with marketing nonsense. 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 minutes a day decluttering in the current zone
  • reinforce baby steps 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.


There are three key points to keep in mind throughout:

  • No perfectionism allowed - this is harder than you would imagine and many of us on this thread struggle with this one.
  • You are never behind - just start where you are and anything you do is progress.
  • 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 daily and doing the baby steps is a good way to start. Some of us (mentioning no names) can have scary looking ‘ta-da’ lists but don't let that worry you. Do what you can, anything is better than nothing, and don't judge yourself against others.

If all else fails, a Brew + the power of three technique + a bit of support on here can work wonders.

Here's the launch pad for more experienced fledglings.

Don’t let it put you off if we appear a bit cliquey, we really aren’t. Some of us have been on here for years – but all lurkers, intermittent returnees, oldies and newcomers very, very welcome.

SingToTheSky put together a glossary of the many weird and might-seem-a-bit-cliquey terms. We have been going a long time but we always love newbies - hopefully this list will help you settle in.

KCC - the Keep Calm Corner, invented by our lovely Fledgling SC back in March, where the OP posts nice diverting links, memes, questions etc to distract us from the pandemic.

Ta Da - instead of a to do list (which is of course welcome too) we often post our achievements, with accompanying jazz hands, in order to celebrate the positives, however small they seem! Sometimes if we want to share an embarrassed giggle/commiserations we also post a ta didn’t - the stuff we didn’t get done!

BRC - Bag/Box of Random Crap. These are usually formed when we are panic tidying and shove anything in “to sort later” which is also known as a stash and dash .

Power of Three or PO3 - the idea that if you’re feeling really unmotivated/overwhelmed by your to do list, you just choose three things to do, and then post when you’ve done them.

DLMS - didn’t lose my shit - in other words, somehow stayed relatively calm despite a stressful day!

SS/S&S - Swish and Swipe - this is one of the key parts of the morning routine, a quick once over of the bathroom.

And a few basics:
LOL - load of laundry
WM - washing machine
TD - tumble dryer
DW - dishwasher
HSL - hallway, stairs, landing
OP posts:
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MogTheSleepyCat · 31/08/2020 21:56

Good evening all, here are your links for the morning:

Chocolate Cake Biscuit Chocolate Cake Biscuit

Links for Tuesday 1st September

As always we kick off the new month in the Entrance, Front Porch and Dining Room

Today’s mission is to set your timer for 15 minutes and spot clean the smudges and finger prints from the walls and windows. Careful not to rub off the paint!

Our first baby step is to shine your sink I personally do not have a sink that I can shine; that’s my excuse, and I’m sticking to it

Habit of the month is Before Bed Routine This is one that will be invaluable once schools go back.

Tuesday is [[http://www.flylady.net/d/daily-focus/daily-focus-tuesday/
Planning Day]]: meal planning, activities, look ahead to next week to see what you can do today to help – organize any birthday cards, paperwork etc

Chocolate Cake Biscuit Chocolate Cake Biscuit

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SingToTheSky · 01/09/2020 00:53

Hi mog! Thanks for taking on September (and for other offers as I know Chic mentioned it off thread 💐)

Signing in a bit late after a big chat with DD1 who is having a lot of worries about going back to school, including finding out a lot more about the boyfriend she briefly had when she joined the school... suffice to say, boys can be vile, and I am VERY glad she stood her ground at the time.

Forgot to write a ta da list, all I did was briefly pop into town though. Must try and sleep, yoga in the morning!

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HungryHazelEyes · 01/09/2020 03:18

Thank you Mog for taking on September.
Thank you Sing for doing August, even with everything you had going on.
KCC I'm proud that I could actually relax this month when we took time off. We played a lot of it by ear and we're able to enjoy ourselves. And I may have got the shoes under control in my kitchen finally!
No ta das yet today, although think I need to do a quick S&S as DDs friends came over after school and she's not the cleanest in the bathroom 🤮
Actually, I take that back - I do have a ta da!
🌻 Cleaned ILs glass stove top. I saw a hack on Pinterest on my lunch break and figured I'd try it out. It seemed to do a good job.
I'm off work tomorrow and already have a list of things I need to do (not necessarily want to do)

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IWillWearTallGreenWellies · 01/09/2020 06:40

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for personal reasons.

EasilyDeleted · 01/09/2020 07:23

Signing in, thanks Mog and a big Flowers to Sing for great thread leading through August.

Well, it was cold here last night, the heating has clicked on for the first time. Beautiful sunny morning but I've got to go to work.

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THATbasicrebelBITCH · 01/09/2020 07:37

Placemarking!

Thanks for the threads mog and sing StarStar

Like the name wellies

Catching up on yesterdays thread!

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TheUpholder · 01/09/2020 07:40

Marking my spot. Thanks again for August Sing, and thanks for the shiny new thread Mog

I’m pleased the focus this month is before bed routine as that is absolutely something I need to work on. I’m going to write a routine down at some point today and I’ve decided I’m going to do most of it before putting DD to bed as I hit a wall after that.

Ta Das:
✅ Yoga Halo
✅ s&s x 2
✅ LOL
✅ beds made
✅ left enough time to get me and DD dressed at a leisurely pace and to sit in the car park at work to post. Winning!

Like the new name Wellies. Mincemeat cake sounds comforting.

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foxessocks · 01/09/2020 08:20

Thanks for the new thread mog and the previous one sing sorry I was hardly there 🤦‍♀️

I can't believe it's September! Last day of summer holidays today and I need to get out for a walk today to try and get my leg moving better, it's still not good but maybe a tiny bit better than it was. Need to pack dd school bag and make sure we are ready for tomorrow! Haven't heard much from the school to be honest so I'm assuming she needs to bring the usual stuff and school dinners as usual, all I know is what time to drop her off and pick her up.

Ds not back to pre school until next week so a bit more time with him. And today I've got to work this morning so the kids will probably be a bit fed up as we didn't get out over the weekend either. Hopefully a walk will blow the cobwebs away a bit.

As for flying, you all sound like you're doing good things, lots of routines, mine has completely fallen apart and I can't seem to get myself started again. I suppose I'm still in the routine of laundry every day and have been doing other bits as and when but you can really tell that I've let it slide. Things like the fridge need to be properly cleaned and the coats in the porch decluttered, I never seem to get any further than the basics basically GrinHmm

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Mc3209 · 01/09/2020 08:32

Placemarking! No ta das so far, will come back later. Have a fab day everyone! 🥰

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SingToTheSky · 01/09/2020 08:51

Morning! Love the name changes wellies and ED

I turned off my alarm at 8 and still hit snooze on my backup alarm at half past. I should probably get up now. 😳 Will need a very quick breakfast before yoga. Then back for DD1’s autism support session, and hopefully after that a call from the HOY at school. With any luck I’ll fit some planning and/or studying around that too.

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MogTheSleepyCat · 01/09/2020 08:55

Hazel what is this stove top Pinterest hack then?

OP posts:
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Bowerbird5 · 01/09/2020 09:14

Morning all.

Sing thank you for leading August so well.
Mog thank you for taking on September.

KCC - August for keeping myself going when I was struggling.

September to get through the meeting and make a final decision.


Just getting up so no TaDas.

To do
Clean front door.
Weed out side the door as I noticed a couple near the step.
Vacuum hall and stairs.

I will come back when I have got that done.🍒🍒🍒👋👋👋

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howlathebees · 01/09/2020 10:05

Thank you mog

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howlathebees · 01/09/2020 10:32

Hi everyone, just wanted to pop in to say I’m going to be taking a bit of a social media break. I’m struggling to balance normal life and still spending quality time with the kids and DH. Especially now DS1 is off to school and routine has resumed. So I might not be in for a while but just wanted to let everyone know so you weren’t wondering where I’d gone.

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slightchill · 01/09/2020 12:14

Hellooooo everyone [SC] checking in! I will only be on here intermittently in Sept but can lead thread in October or November (whichever suits).

I haven't caught up properly with the thread I'm afraid so apologies if I have missed anything important and hope everyone is as is ok as they can possibly be in these strange times! A big hello to all newcomers too!

Wishing those fledglings who are heading back to work today/this week, and their dc who are heading back to school and nursery, the very best of luck with it all and most important of all, happy dc!
[If I was on my other tablet thing I would insert a row of four-leaf clover emoticons at this point !!!]

Thank you so much for taking on September Mog (I really love the thread title btw!) Cake Flowers Brew

And thank you hugely for steering us through August Sing despite everything else you have on your plate Cake Flowers Brew

Lots of love and huge support to you Bower as you face your difficult meeting this month! Flowers

Hope your dd2 ok heading back to school Zoo Flowers

Foxes look after that poorly leg of yours and don't overdo it! [footstool]

That and Wellies good luck with rallying the troops!

It is suddenly very chilly isn't it ED?

Bravo for being able to relax on holiday Hazel that is a MASSIVE achievement and a testament to all the hard work you put in beforehand. Star Star [I think I could have definitely done better in that regard.]

DD is absolutely ecstatic and thrilled to be heading back to school today for the first time in six months (for her last ever school year!) and I am thrilled for her. She is scared her languages have slipped but she is delighted that she can hide her braces behind a mask (which are obligatory at school here).

There is of course the underlying concern (that most people have I suppose) about contracting Covid-19 , being older parents, and dd's state school being old and relatively small, with narrow corridors and stair cases, and lets just say the hygiene in ordinary times (lavs etc) are in a pretty poor condition. Praying that improvements have been made in this area. DD has taken a stack of hand sanitisers to school with her though.

How is everyone else feeling mindset-wise? I must confess to feeling a bit low at the prospect of this autumn, the approaching cold and dark etc when everything takes extra motivation which I don't think I have currently. Struggling with basic motivation as it is tbh! Had a change of scene during the summer(which I was grateful for) but not really a holiday as we were constantly back and forth.

Not to mention dh still wfh and dominating proceedings (he doesn't mean to but it just does ifyswim). He physically occupies a lot of space and personality-wise , he is no shrinking violet Grin and couriers arrive all the time, his job involves endless phone calls/conference calls/webinars from literally 8 am to 8 pm, he is constantly in and out of the kitchen trashing it, he revs up the dogs all the time, and it all gets a bit much. He is so messy it's untrue.

I wish I was more organised at this point but (and I feel rather embarrassed saying this having been on this thread so long) but I have now officially and totally lost control of wreck1 which (if any newcomers don't know) is old, large and crumbly and really hard work to keep clean. It's scuzzy and untidy and I can't seem to keep on top of it. I can keep it just about ok if I have a cleaner for 2 or 3 hrs a week and a fortnightly ironing lady but neither have visited since mid-March because dh is shielding two very vulnerable members of staff in our office. I need to do home bleugh x 2 a week ruthlessly to keep it basically hygienic though.

My task ahead is to clear out wreck1 for rent/renovation/selling (we haven't decided yet) by June next year - 10 months in all - pretty much single-handedly while doing admin for dh and keeping the home fires burning. And I don't quite know how I am going to manage it.

To my mind there are three categories of house-keeping which are entirely separate:

(1) day-to-day chores such as cleaning sink and loos, emptying and filling dw, food shopping, cooking, clearing up after cooking, laundry, cleaning kitchen surfaces and surface tidying.
(2) actual cleaning ie hoovering, cleaning windows, cleaning shower doors, dusting surfaces, mopping etc and reorganising.
(3) decluttering.

If I may draw on Fledgling wisdom, how do you balance the three? Do you stick to Flylady zones and allocate particular days to the specific categories? Or mornings and afternoons? I have never really mastered this. I spend a lot of time on (1) and do weekly home bleugh (2) but usually the decluttering doesn't get done apart from the odd jettison of clothing. And I have approx 18-20 hrs admin per week to do at the time when I am most energetic ifyswim to fit in with office hrs. It is solely down to me too as dh's job is never-ending although he will do more cooking if I ask him.

I've tried "just doing it" in ad hoc style but that means the decluttering doesn't ever get done and I feel stressed and dither because I am not working to a plan. I like to be able to consult a timetable and know what I am doing when. But it's what to schedule at what time is the problem. Does anyone have any ideas please?

[Sorry for humungous mind-dump on first day of the new month!]

Flowers to all Fledglings and wishing you all a productive start to the month! Tally-hoooooooo!!!!

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slightchill · 01/09/2020 12:18

Oh just read that your dd is very worried about going back to school Sing I hope she is ok Flowers

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AlexTheLittleCat · 01/09/2020 13:19

Hope everyone is ok and good luck to everyone with the new school year. Sing hope your DD is ok.

Slightchill It's cold here, it's making me want to hibernate ready for winter. I'm planning to get lots of time outside with the kids to make the most of the daylight in case we are stuck at home again over the winter.

Ta da

  • blitzed the kitchen, it will return to chaos within hours
  • DIY weekend
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slightchill · 01/09/2020 13:33

That's a good tip Alex thank you! Must prioritize outdoor exercise whatever else is happening as it does give you energy to sort the inside!

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Mc3209 · 01/09/2020 13:47

chill Regarding balancing the 3, what i've been doing so far is:

  • trying to get into a daily routine of day-to-day chores FLylady style-ish: dishes go in and out of DW as soon as they need to, ie no 'leaving them in the sink for now until I get to unload the DW', kitchen surfaces get wiped as soon as mess happens, ideally immediately after cooking. Quick straighten up of everything in the evening before going to bed. The only housework I do in the morning is making a bed, no time/will to do anything else before work. All of the above kind of fits into daily living and doesn't take much time at all when I deal with it immediately.
  • The actual cleaning: I borrowed from TOMM the daily zones, where I spend few minutes in the evening doing dusting/mopping/surface cleaning. For example Monday is my 'Kitchen' day, Tuesday is 'Living room' and 'Small room' day, Wednesday is 'bathroom blitz', Thursday is 'Bedroom and spare/baby room' day. Sometimes I lump the two zones into one day and have a day off in the week, or switch the zones around.
  • Decluttering: I use weekly Flylady zones. I do it as and when during the week.


This has worked well for August, and the place is looking much better. This leaves me with free weekend if I don't skip any days during the week (I still end up doing laundry - I weirdly like it - and random bits like aquarium maintenance on Sunday etc)
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slightchill · 01/09/2020 13:58

Wow that is fantastic advice - thank you very much Mc3209* - it's much appreciated! It's very disciplined of you to do your main cleaning in the evening! I have a feeling that your house may be less messy at base level than mine which is very scuzzy and messy right now. I'm the same with using TOMM for zones and not Flylady atm as it is easier for me somehow with dh at home. Thanks again! It's great that this system is working well for you and you still get some down time at weekends!

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Lisette1940 · 01/09/2020 14:06

Thank you sing for such a vibrant August thread and to mog for leading us wonderfully into September!

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SingToTheSky · 01/09/2020 14:08

Thanks lovelies, she’s feeling a bit better after her autism support meeting today, and the head of year phoned too and we discussed it. I’ve also been allowed to see her timetable in advance 🤫 which is really lovely and it turns out she does indeed have PE, sport science or dance every single day so will need to wear her kit every day. So glad I spent £30+ on the blazer she probably won’t wear after the first day 😂 and will need to order a couple more PE shirts and buy more leggings I suppose. Or maybe she could wear her blazer over PE kit anyway as she really hates the PE jumper (which is optional anyway). 🤔

Great that the habit of the month is the routine as this is what we really need to get sorted. Both the clearing up, showers etc type stuff for after dinner and the “future friend” which I seriously need to get back to. I was so smug this morning being even in my shoes waiting for friend to arrive before yoga, then when she did arrive I realised I hadn’t even got my gym card or mat 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

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IWillWearTallGreenWellies · 01/09/2020 14:34

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for personal reasons.

slightchill · 01/09/2020 15:01

It does make sense - thank you very much for writing all of that out willow much appreciated - and I may well nick your cleaning schedule!

I quite like the idea of doing one task like mopping all on the same day and all over the house because I waste a lot of time running up and down between floors when the cleaning is done per room ifyswim.

I think I have to schedule in some proper decluttering time though as "as and when" for me personally is turning in to "never"! And although one item a day sounds fab - I should have started doing that five years ago - if I am going to clear this house by end of June 2021 Grin Blush

Lots to think about - thank you!

So glad your dd is feeling a bit more reassured Sing

[Waves to Lisette!]

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slightchill · 01/09/2020 15:02

So sorry!!! Meant Wellies not Willow of course! Apologies!

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