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!

No child-free time today, sadly. Both children now off school. They both have a stomach bug, which seems to involve intermittent stomach-clutching pains. Other than that, they are normal and lively. I thought DS1 was just 'putting it on', but now I know other children with the same symptoms, so I realise it is a bug. So hard to know sometimes.

Anyway, it completely buggers up my day. I had a long list of errands to do in town, none of which I can do now. So, my revised list today looks like this:

Menu planning
Online food shopping
Morning routine
Swish and swipe
Hoover
Declutter in bedroom
Crisis clean (in preparation for MIL's visit on Saturday)
Tackle hotspots
Cook beef stew in slowcooker
Online application for DS1's school
Afternoon and evening routines
Bed at decent hour

The above all depends on how demanding DC are, of course.

Swan - sympathies with regard to the clothes and clutter situation. I only have one pair of trousers (jeans) too and they have just developed a hole in the knee. My winter coat is ancient (I bought it long before I was pregnant with DS1 and he is 11!). I need a whole new wardrobe really. As for the clutter - where does it all come from and why doesn't everyone have it? No, don't answer that - I know, I know: they are organised and we are not.

I recommend that you treat yourself today - it's very uplifting having a new outfit to wear.

Managed to get myself to bed by midnight last night, which is pretty good for me - and I feel more tired than when I had only 5 hours' sleep yesterday. Could happily go back to sleep now. Can anyone explain this to me?

Sorry, can't keep up with all the messages here today, but I'll check back later (depending on DC's behaviour). Waves to all.

Morning all. My head feels all over the place + I've got 3 kids at home (or should that be 'because') so it's nice to have somewhere to put it all! It's weird, everything I've written on my lists here I've actually done, whereas if I just make a list for myself at home I often don't do them. Bizarrely, two of the children have taken it into their heads to sort all their DVDs and put stray ones back in their boxes without a word from me. Yes, they're arguing as they do it but, hey, you can't have everything.

Today's list:
Get dressed + get DD dressed - do meds
dishwasher
laundry
get DS1 revising
drop DD at friend's
counselling appointment
write up notes from course yesterday
hospital appointment with DD - take DS2
sort out letters/bills etc and deal with anything urgent
food shopping/dinner
collect laundry from launderette
evening reception for friend's charity.

Morning all,

Swan - my theory on clutter is that nature abhors a vacuum. As soon as I declutter, naughty thoughts appear in my head ie now that I have got more space in my kitchen cupboards I can go out and buy a cookie dough syringe, a slow cooker, an ice cream machine. Good news about DH by the way.

Linzer I too am paranoid about skin cancer, being pale and moley and having been burnt a few times in my life, at least you are getting your mole seen to promptly, that is the most important thing.

I have done nothing other than get the DCs to school and download some photos from the camera. It is a glorious cold crispy sunny day here, across the road from us are some horse chstnut trees, this morning the leaves are all falling off like beautiful golden snowflakes, the DCs went for a run around trying to cath them as we went to school, and I have been outside with my cup of tea chatting to a friend and watching the display, very beautiful. Much more fun than clearing up the kitchen! However I will be moaning for the next three weeks as they all blow inside the minute anyone opens the front door, no matter how often I sweep the drive.

Toffee oh dear about the kids - very topsy turveying of plans, then ironically there are days when one has planned to stay in and do things and one has to go out for some reason

I have no winter coat. Just an furry cotton anorak from Peacocks (and Dh's puffa which he hates)which were meant to be an interim solution when I decluttered my old coats. Just never bought that N.Fahri investment coat after all..Trying to avoid another Per Una coat which always wears out and hangs wrong. But may succumb in desperation.

feetheart - hopeyou can get through it all. the Brownie world vision thingy last night has taken its toll here.

Swan - DD VERY tired this morning but still buzzing from last night so surprisingly easy to get up and out. Not sure how tonight will be though - at least choc and banana cake will sooth the way home. Can imagine some very tired little Rainbows though.

Friend due any minute so off to do couple of Hotspots and find something for dinner.

Ellie - how did the Ofsted thingy go?

hurrah - done all the errands paper, automotive and textile except the nighties High School MISSION COMPLETED
Unless someone tells me that the school has been sold to the Moonies or has a truly demon headmaster I am not going to change my order of preference or think about the order of preference again. Til March, so there!

need to buy the gloves though...
and clean house still

Feetheart it was a lovely sight - all those ranks of different aged girls with all those badges in our local Methodist Church, sadly not many Methodists left, but they run the local group of Guides. It is a beautiful church.

mrsd I am resisting. I have no slowcooker, no microwave, no hotplate, no food processor, no syringes, no scanner, no laminator, no shredder, given away my preserving pan, my jam pot covers [sob] several tablecloths and embroidered tray cloths...Still mess.

but today I bought [guiltily] some raffia and a halloween banner kit.

Swan - you are doing better than me then. AS well as the aforementioned items, I decluttered our desk and made room for a scanner the other week.

Wine is in fridge --->
Glass is optional. [hwink]

Have managed all of my errands today and my 27 things for the bin. Know I've done other things as well but brain is fried. Off to Rainbows to lead campfire singing (am a Guide and Senior Section leader but regularly go to our two Rainbow units to help with special activities).

Waves to everyone. Hello!

feetheart hope you have a lovely time with your mum. Could i have a copy of your choc and banana cake recipe sounds fab!
toffee hope dc feel better soon
just aw cool productive dc and their DVD.
mrsd what a beautiful scene you have painted in my head.

Off to tackle more damn sage invoices!! [hhmm]

mrsd I need a scanner! you are right to have one.

I think I'd like to join you for November if I may?

Can someone give me a quick summary of how it works? Does someone post a list everyday of jobs to do and then you post to give each other encouragement?

Pead appointment done
Drop off music for coach going training tomo will do then
Request replacement form for pre-school club (lost the other one) done
Important paperwork (yes i know I still havent done it blush
Second coat of gloss - next job
Move phone and printer just about to do
Door first coat (if have energy)
Get ds' hair cut done
Tell ex fuckwit that he is on stocking duty this year done
Early night [hhmm] yeah right.

Hello Redhappy and welcome. Yes, that's the general idea. I'll pop back on and give you a bit more info later when I've got the DCs to bed.

Evening All,

Welcome Redhappy .

We can't really be nearly in November can we?

I had a reasonably productive day today which mainly involved shopping . The baby has a new mattress to sleep on when he arrives and I've founbd a replacement dishwasher (ours is on its last legs so we thought we should replace it sooner rather than later) as well as some potential carpet for upstairs.

The washing and ironing are, of course, in their usual sorry state but I've nearly finished my Christmas shopping, hooray!

Have a good evening everyone!

I am getting a little bit ahead of myself. Still some october left, all part of the new organised me!

From 1st November I will no longer be working in the week, and ds will be at playschool 9- 12 every morning, so I am looking forward to having the chance to have a well-run home for the first time ever.

How do you keep up with the posts? Check in a few times a day? Or read through every eve? I'm a tiny bit overwhelmed by how long the thread is

Evening all

Another day of zero flying, and I've made an executive decision that it's too late to start now.

DS is now better (but have been warned that some of the children are going down with it again, just as they seem to have got through it the first time!) He had a fun time at playgroup today. Did drop off, a bit of housework, then had my mother come to do pick up and look after DS for afternoon/evening, as I had a dentist appt (a long way away). Came back, did bedtime, took my mother home, and am now sitting with a cup of tea.

Must do before I go to bed:
Sort craft for toddler group tomorrow
Sort food for toddler group tomorrow
Look up some legal property stuff, so I can email solicitor tomorrow
Shine sink
Clean Aga
Decide whether I can be bothered to get something to eat

Evening all,

Just a very quick hello as this going back to work lark is wiping me out and i am going to bed. Tomorrow i will start babystepping properly, and clear out a lot more than 27 bits of rubbish. My todo list is on the back of an envelope so i probably won't rewrite it on here.

Hi redhappy have you followed the links to the fat fairy's website? I love the idea that you can buy a toy fly fairy [hgrin]

Oh, and the trick to a decent G&T is to make ice cubes out of tonic water. It really does make a difference as i have discovered this eve!

Sleep tight all!

Evening everyone, we've had a busy day, CDC steering group this morning which ran very late so we missed AFOs appt had dd's sensory walk with her class this afternoon and back to get ds from french! I spent 15 minutes in the master bedroom today, the dressers are still relatively clear from last time so spent 5 minutes on those.

Shiny sink and clean aga sounds very FlyLady Ihate :) but as a FlyLady you should be kind to yourself, or so I seem to remember, I think, brain fog.

Welcome redhappy

Wow Marmite I thought I was doing well, and I have done a Book People order, nothing else. Well done.

I'm doing some sage training next week Nettie is it horrid?

Campfire singing sounds lovely Scout have fun.

I'm thinking of not replacing our dying microwave swan do you miss it?

Hope you're ok ellie SC MrsDinky Toffee feetheart and everyone.

Had some fairly shit news this evening; dp's best friend had an awful accident in Australia last week, his family have flown out, the brain damage was catastrophic and he's just being made comfortable until the inevitable happens. Dp and ds are devastated, he's only 25 and will be sorely missed :(

Oh gosh Bobloblaw so sorry to hear your news, that must be devastating x

That's horrific Bob so sorry to hear your news. Its things like this that put the rest of life into perspective.

redhappy having the names in bold helps when you are scanning through. We all struggle with keeping up though so dont worry if you struggle. MrsDinky is looking after us increadibly well this month and there is mostly an evening round up. When I am pushed for time I look for that. but tbh i have mush for brains and even when i have read all the new posts I have missed most of it. There have been a lot of newbies on the thread this month so it have been very cosey in here recently.

Pst - You could start with the first baby step just whilst you are waiting for November to come around, its really easy and VERY satisfying! (cant linky netbook is throwing a flid at how much i have open)

Oh no Bob, that is truly awful news, so sorry.

Purpleweds - I find it takes too long putting my lists on here a lot of the time, just use a notebook instead.

Ihate - fingers crossed DS stays well

Redhappy - will make you a separate post in a minute.

MiniM - hello, yes, a new DW before baby arrives definitely sounds like a good idea.

Bat - hope the appt went well.

Scout - hello. Someone else on here is a Scout or Guide leader, can't remember who (MissB?)

Swan - yes but I've had the scanner for about 2 months and haven't used it yet .

Ellie - how was Ofsted? Do you get the outcome straight away?

feetheart - please share choc banana cake recipe when you have a moment.

Just13 - well done for getting so much done with 3 DCs at home. Toffee - hope you managed with yours at home too.

Nettie - how do you manage to feel Christmassy in October? I never can until about the first week in DEcember, wish I could would help me get a bit better organised.

Waves at everyone else.

I managed an hour on the master bedroom today, cleared clothes piles and nightstands, half did dresser, hoovered, took all the toys etc back to DCs rooms (but just dumped them on floors, thus negating all the tidying I've done in there the last two days). Just need to remake the bed, clean up the kitchen, make packed lunch . Tomorrow is quite a busy day so probably won't get much done then.

Redhappy

Basically the Flylady website provides a structure routine for the chores, with daily tasks. We post links from that website daily to save you having to wade through it (it is a bit gushing and full on). The thread has been going for over a year, with a new one started each month. Some people have been here from the start, others come and go. Several people have joined in in the last week or so. There is a lot of chat and it can be hard to follow, I think that is true even when you've been on here for a long time, just pop in and out, tell us what you're up to. A different person posts links each month, that person also usually tries to make a daily chat roundup too, but sometimes there is just too much chat to cope with!

the Flylady system is threefold. Firstly Babysteps, one for each day of the month, these are quick habits you are supposed to maintain on a daily basis. Most of us pick and choose to suit. Secondly is decluttering. The home is divided into zones, we stay in a zone for a week at a time, decluttering in that zone. Once you have decluttered your house you can start doing the daily missions in the current zone. Again, most of us pick and choose and just do our best really. Have a good look at the Flylady website, I will post tomorrow's links in a minute. Be warned, if you sign up for Flylady emails you will be inundated! Just ask when your not sure about anything.