October is here, leaves are swirly, Fly with the Fledglings if your sink is surly

[MrsDinky]

Welcome to the October 2010 Fledgling Flying thread!

This is where from the 1st of the month, we attempt to declutter and follow the 30-step wisdom of the Fat Fairy, with lots of chat and support and mutual motivation along the way. (More info available here!

Many thanks to our September thread leader StillCounting for guiding us through the traumatic back to work and school period with lots of support and guidance!

As usual we will be following a three-pronged approach (and don't worry - we are all at different stages):

• repeat or start baby steps (again!)

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

or

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

Together we can do it! All newcomers welcome!

Ah, now it works - it does make it much easier to find the babysteps, etc. I discovered I was already using Mumsnet New, but that there's also an option to highlight all the OP's posts so I've changed that now.

Sorry to hear about your back, MrsD - maybe another glass of wine would help.

Thanks, it does this once a year or so, nothing serious but need to take care. It doesn't actually hurt that much, but makes my back very stiff and aches if I stand or walk for too long. Might have to give the gym a miss on Monday!

mrsd that hightlight option is very handy.

who was it recommended the resouceful cook, brill website. trying beef and bean burritos tomorrow.

swan hope its a nice trip, swanning about sounds good to. me.

tonight i have

cleaned dishwasher
dejunked bathroom cupboards
swept floors
meal planning
eaten lots of victoria sponge cake
online shopping

still to check out christmas thread and peel myself off sofa and into bed

have nice evening everyone

Good evening all,

Been at least a week since I got near the pc, so I hope I'm forgiven . Managed two darts matches in that time (win one, draw one).

It's been very busy, chez Darts, and at the mo, dp is off and actually painting all the woodwork (stinks of gloss.....) so I get home from work (where I have an IT problem) and help him out with stuff. And I've had School governor meetings which has eaten into any MN time I could get...

Also, it was my birthday yesterday, so apart from getting stuff ready in the morning, and tidying up before people came over in the evening, I did precisely.....nothing.

Evening all, just checking in, but haven't got much flying done

Haven't caught up with the thread yet, so off to do that now!

I have had the crappiest of crapola days. Issues at work which have resulted in me getting crapped on from a great height because I am someone who just gets on with the job with the minimum of fuss. And one of the people who has crapped on me is someone who I would count as one of my closest friends in rl. Have avoided her all day and don't know what to do.. Then had to endure two hours of soft play party torture so I'm giving up today. back tomorrow in a better mood hopefully. Welcome to just I promise I am not a miserable old cow all of the time .

Ohhh, I'm so tired, off to bed in a minute. I'm afraid I can't keep my eyes open for long enough to do a proper round up tonight, just a few quick things.

Ellie - sorry to hear about the crap day.

Darts - welcome back and belated Happy birthday.

Ihate - silly question, how do you strip your lavender? I dry mine in the airing cupboard in a washing up bowl. I have tried stripping it off using my hands but it takes ages, goes everywhere and the smell is totally overwhelming. Last year I just tied the stems into bundles and popped them into old popsocks in my drawers but would be nice to make proper bags.

Saturday Links

Babystep. Read an email from the Flylady. Although IIRC we were supposed to delete them all a few days ago.

Reminders

Sleep tight mrsd
Sorry you had such and awful day Ellie
forgot to say hello to just earlier. Sorry welcome
Hi pmpy
darts happy birthday for yesterday

[wafts lavender smell around]

what a nightmare Ellie I hope she explains herself, or perhaps she's just a fence-sitter.

house not organised, but I've tried my hardest, and now I can just slope off I think...when dh not looking.

byeee

late night here but feeling calmer emotionally after this week. hope you are all ahppily asleep. sleep tight flutters.

Just going to bed, Bat. Will regret it in the morning, I know. Glad you are feeling calmer. Hope you get some sleep soon.

Good morning. Hope everyone is OK.

Just diving in and out again as fairly packed weekend ahead. DD still recovering. Dh back from Germany but due to head out to Singapore tomorrow for a wk, which leads very little time for us both to "meet in the middle" and get stuff done today.

Been keeping up with routines but have done very little extra decluttering or Flying and certainly my vow at top of thread to do every baby step diligently every day has completely flown (!) out of the window . As I type this though, first two floors are basically in order and clean and shiny but laundry wildly out of control.

Thanks for steps MrsD and mind your back! Hope it improves soon. [Waves to littlest Dinkies]

Ellie that sounds absolutely awful (and to have it "hanging over" you during the w/e too). Hope you can have some recuperative r & r this weekend and that she apologises/puts things right on Monday.

Many happy returns to Dart for yesterday - thank you for cake - it was delicious!

A warm welcome to Just13 you will find everyone very peculiar supportive on here ! Good luck with the baby-stepping and remember the Flylady mantra - no perfectionism allowed! Good enough is good enough and all that! Hope you can persuade dh and the dc on board too.

Thanks for Christmas link Toffee (my early Xmas prep. schedule is in danger of completely collapsing too ) Hope your ds feels better soon.

Feetheart forgot to say "well done" with all the money you raised at the Fayre!

Resting on your laurels again Ihate I see!! Your lists put me to shame!!

Ditto Linzer I'm allergic to dust too and I don't understand it either as we have virtually no curtains or carpets (wooden floors throughout)!! I often wonder if it is all the piles of books I keep by our bed (arranged in paniers as have no proper bookshelves). Perhaps it's just the fact that the house is old and has lots of holes in the wallls! I find sleeping with window wide open (very un-Austrian I know!) good too!!

Aarrggh - got to go - huge waves to Swan (safe travelling) BatBrains Nettie MissB Pushme Tigger Namechange Bob PA Seeker Nick

Any news from Mini I wonder?

Sad though it is - all this talk of Playmobil is getting me very excited. Have spotted a 'St Nicolas' set in the toy-shop - complete with white horse!

Have a great w/e everyrone!

Morning all. No point in stewing over spilt milk as my grandmother used to say so have decided to forget work for a couple of days.

Am determined to properly get back on track today so am going to post a huge list and see how I much I fail get done !

Wm on done
tidy downstairs done
clean downstairs
Tidy upstairs
Clean upstairs
Washing
Drying
Visit bf for a whinge
Tesco
Park

Place your bets please! Have a good dayeveryone!

Good morning - what a busy thread! Thanks for the welcome messages. My living room is tidier now than if I hadn't come on here yesterday evening so that's a good start. Will just post a couple of jobs each time as I know that works best for me.

1. Sort out dishes and tidy kitchen 2)DD meds

Welcome to the thread, Just13. The Flylady routines have been a real help to me. I feel much more in control and less stressed by the house than before. I used to feel overwhelmed by everything, but not anymore. I'm sure you'll find it helpful too. This thread is lovely - very supportive (and chatty!).

Nettie - It was me who recommended the resourceful cook website resourcefulcook.com/here!. Glad you are finding it helpful. I'm using it to meal plan every week at the moment.

Linzer and Still - I'm allergic to dust too. It's a pain, isn't it? Am having allergy tests done in November, but I don't need a test for the dust allergy as it's so obvious. Will be useful to find out what else I'm allergic too, though, and ways to avoid the triggers.

Ellie - so sorry about your horrible day - and your friend's behaviour. Is it possible that if you can talk to her about it there may be more to it and she didn't mean to drop you in it? Hope you manage to put it to one side and enjoy your weekend.

Bat - am I right in thinking you have a child-free weekend? Relax and enjoy.

Swan - And are you away from DC and DH this weekend? Hope you enjoy it too.

Came downstairs to a lovely shiny sink this morning - it does cheer me up. Spent ages online last night ordering DS2's birthday presents (for mid-November) and some Xmas presents. Really want to avoid the usual lastminute rush this year!

Have a lovely weekend all.

good morning everyone,

so far this morning i have

got dc up, breakfast and dressed after a fashion
sorted out bathroom cupboards
starting and made a great start on decluttering the paper mountain which is my home office.
made bed
dishwasher on

still to do

ocado man to come
sky man to come
washing
sweeping
bitta tidying
shops to return lampshade doesnt fit
buy gift for dd keyworker as she is moving to the next room next week. present for all the girls too
make beef and bean burritos

think thats enough. im off out tonight clubbing and a lil bitta horror [too old emotion]

hope you all have a fab day

How are you feeling this morning toffee My head hurts. someone put the heating on to cook setting Got woken up by a phone call asking me if i had honestly.

Today i am taking it easy, doing nothing and not sure i can be bothered to move at all.

Hello MNers. I am a fledgling flyer, stumbled upon this thread and think it is FAB.
Have shined my sink (wow, what a difference and a lovely warm feeling inside...) and that gave me the motivation to declutter the dumping ground in my kitchen, namely the corner of the breakfast bar.
I even donned apron and rubber gloves, so feeling rather self-righteous now

Will try and get my head around the FlyLady system, but for now thank you for the nudge in the right direction.

hello sitting. Just remember progress is good enough perfection just doesnt work

Join us for the chat as well as the fly guidedance.

I have decided that as i am child free and have a horrific list of stuff that needs to be done and a commission to get done before christmas that i will finally drag my lazy bottom out of bed and tackl my room and creative space. I hopefully can make significant progress in it and then next week can declutter/decorate and create when the mood/necessity strikes.

Christmas presents are either consituent bought or are money. SO I am going to have to get my head around the creative process and finish off. All are started and half abandoned. So much get done so that i can attempt to have a relaxing festive season.

Although saying that i might go mweh and go out.

Thanks for the encouragement Toffeefudgecake and hello to Sittinghippo. I'm roughly where you are but without the shiny sink (yet).

Next jobs: put laundry away, hang new load, tidy bedroom.

I dread to think when I last shined my sink. I was thinking about doing it earlier, but would have had to put all the dishes away that were drying in the rack, and... Maybe I should go and do it now, as I'm distinctly lacking in motivation and energy this afternoon and it might give me the kick I need.

Today I've managed to:

Take car to garage to get tyres changed (winter tyres need to be on by November)
Take DD1 for assessment at learning centre
Do about half next week's food shopping (the rest to be done on Monday)
Make two batches of pumpkin soup, one in the slow cooker and one on the stove top (the soup in the slow cooker turned a very unappetising muddy colour but tastes OK)
Buy and write a new baby card and buy and wrap the present
Fold and put away the washing

So am still not making inroads on my list, but at least I've been fairly productive.

Hello and welcome to sittinghippo.

BatBrains Thanks for the reminder about perfection - I wish I wasn't so much of a perfectionist...

Nettie Clubbing? I think I can just about remember what that is... Have a lovely time, anyway!

Toffee Well done on being so organised with your Christmas and birthday presents - I'm planning on ordering most of the presents for my family online this year, as I can then get them sent straight to my parents' house. Any websites you'd recommend? (I've also found the resourceful cook site very useful when planning my menus for the week, so thank you for that recommendation!)

ellie Hope you're able to relax and forget about work over the weekend.

SC It must be hard with your DH doing so much travelling - I remember what it was like when DH would go away for a week or so at a time (fortunately he's rarely away for more than 2-3 days now); the worst thing was being on my own with the DC at the weekends. (Although I must admit that I secretly enjoy the odd evening to myself!)

DD2 has just come back from her extended sleepover, so must go... and DH has just discovered that DS has drawn on the floor while I was on the computer, so suspect I may be in trouble!

Sorry for cross thread talk I am going to break that mn unwritten rule and ask if there is anything you lovley ladies can think of that i need to ask ds' peaditrician. He wants to see us this week. Short notice appointment

Evening all,

Welcome on board to Sittinghippo. The FLylady system is basically as follows. there are 31 babysteps, one for each day of the month, these are small steps towards a more organised routine. We are supposed to start doing them and keep doing them daily. While we are getting used to that we divide our house into 5 zones, approximately one per week. Flylady publishes daily instructions called Missions for the current Zone, these are the more infrequent cleaning jobs like cleaning the cooker hood. IF your house is in a state because of clutter, you are not supposed to start the missions, but spend 15 mins each day decluttering in the current zone. Only then do you worry a bout the missions. We all mix it up a bit on her, none of us are very accomplished Flyers TBH but we keep trying and having a good chat as we go. Try having a good browse of the Flylady website in order to pick up some of the terminology.

Need to go and get DCs to bed, back later.

Bat - have posted on your SN thread.