December's Fledgling Flyers: Christmas time, swish and swipe and wine, flyers sing to the fat fairy rhyme.

[elliepac]

Welcome to the December Fledgling Flying thread.

From the 1st of the month we shall be decluttering and taming the chaos using baby steps, missions and zones. A great big thank you to DEM/DID who looked after us last month and did a fantabulous job

We are not strict followers of the fat fairy and take some of the babysteps wearing shoes indoors with a pinch of salt. Also advise against signing up for the fairy's emails.

All are welcome, jump on board for one of our three methods of chaos attack:

1. Baby steps
2. Baby steps and 15mins decluttering in current zone
3. Re-inforce the baby steps and daily mission

This month the fat fairy is gearing up for the feastive period. So I shall also post the christmas mission for those who wish are brave enough to look.

In here the motto is:

*"No perfection! Do what you can, but be realistic about what you can do."

Happy flying.

Evening all,

Sorry to hear about so many poorly DCs, hope everyone gets a decent night sleep.

PIL arrived safely (they may not be able to go home as planned tomorrow though if there's more snow). Party was cancelled, feel sorry for the hosts, this was about the 3rd attempt they've made to have this party. On the plus side, I get to watch the Strictly final!

Also on the bright side, a friend who lives just round the corner decided to have an impromptu open house this afternoon, so we towed the DCs round there on the sledge and had a happy hour or so in good company.

See you all tomorrow.

Linzer - hope you slept all right on the sofa . Is your headache better today? And your DS?

MrsD - glad PILs arrived, but sorry party was cancelled. Your impromptu open house sounds lovely.

Was up till the early hours writing Christmas cards (nearly all done now ). Then DS2 woke up and needed cuddles and Calpol. Ended up taking him into our bed again.

Woke up with his cold this morning, which I thought might happen, as he has been coughing and sneezing all over me. Hopefully it will be gone by Xmas Day, at least.

Today's list:

Iron and put laundry away
Put Xmas boxes away in cupboard
Add to Tesco online delivery (due tomorrow, weather permitting)
Hotspots - piano top cluttered again
Find/buy string and hang cards up
Deliver cards to neighbours
Make pizza with DC for lunch
Dinner - stuff from freezer

Anything else is a bonus.

Just a quick post, as DH has taken the DC out sledging and I'm supposed to be packing to go home (how can there be so much to pack when we only arrived yesterday?). I slept surprisingly well on the sofa and woke up to find my headache gone, thank goodness; I even managed to have a lie-in until 8 am. Have managed to write a grand total of one Christmas card this morning, but just have three more to go now - and all within Austria/Germany (two can be delivered by hand).

MrsD Glad to hear your PIL arrived safely in the end. A shame about the party, although it sounds like there was a silver lining!

Toffee Sorry to hear about your cold; really not what you need atm although like you say, at least you should be over it by Christmas Day. You've reminded me that we still need to hang our Christmas cards up (I think the string is in the cellar somewhere...); I really must do that when we get home later today.

Must get on with some packing now. Hope the fact that it's so quiet on here means that everyone's having a good weekend!

Certainly is quiet on here today. Where are you all?

Went back to sleep after last post and have just woken up. Feeling worse now. DH said, "Stay in bed".

Might have to shift today's list into tomorrow's list.

Hello, I'd like to join you all if that's ok? The only thing is I'm new to the fly concept so am bewildered! Do you have a new thread each month? Do I have to for the next month?

I meant do I have to WAIT for next month, sorry!

Hello, lovely to see someone else on today's unusually quiet thread. It's normally busy here.

Ellie is this month's leader (hope you don't mind me answering arabella's questions, as I am on here already, Ellie).

You are very welcome to join. We do have a new thread every month, where we start over with Flylady's 'babysteps'. You can join us anytime though, just to chat and ask questions and gain encouragement.

I have been 'flying' since the summer. Every month, we follow the 'babysteps' to get us into the Flylady routine. She encourages you to establish certain habits (like 'swishing and swiping' in the bathroom, keeping a 'shiny sink', laying out clothes the night before) to lay a good foundation. You also establish your own daily routines that you do every day, eg school run, unload dishwasher, put washing on, etc. And she is very keen on using a timer so that you only work for a short time, say 15 minutes. That way you don't lose momentum.

In addition to the basic routines, you are encouraged to declutter a little bit every day ('You can't clean clutter') and, once you are on top of the clutter, you do a daily task in the current 'zone' (eg the bedroom) so that you stay on top of the housework.

The idea is 'little and often', so that everything doesn't mount up.

I am still at the decluttering stage and I still fall behind if life gets too busy, but I have noticed a definite improvement in the house since I started. I also don't get as stressed by it as I used to. Somehow, following these routines helps you to notice what you have done, rather than what still needs to be done.

Don't, whatever you do, subscribe to Flylady's website, or you will be bombarded by daily emails. Everything you need is on this thread.

The first step is here - shine your sink. This gives you a psychological boost (it works for me, even when the rest of the house is in chaos).

Welcome to the thread!

Thanks for the welcome toffee! Should I check her website each day to see what to do? Or just do what is suggested on this thread each day?

Also, how do I go about making my own daily routine? Do you all write one down? Do you just think it up yourself or are there templates or pointers?

Just looked at day2 on baby steps- what on earth does " get up and dressed to shoes mean"? I don't understand. Is she asking me to get washed and dressed? I'm a bit hopeless with housework but I do manage to get dressed each day

You don't need to bother with Flylady's website - just stick to this thread. There is a lot of superfluous stuff on her website, not to mention saccharine language.

The babysteps - listed daily on this thread - help you to build your own daily routine. After you have been following them for a week, Flylady advises you to get a ring binder and write down the routines you have established so far see here. I bought myself a display folder instead and have written my routines down on A4 and put them inside the plastic pockets. I also use the folder to keep useful stuff, like recipes and, more recently, my Xmas card list. And I have printed out Flylady's reminders on useful things like 'crisis cleaning' (when you have guests coming and the house is in a state).

Steps for building your own 'control journal' are also here, but they might be a bit overwhelming at first.

A lot of us - but not everyone - do have 'control journals'. I find it really useful, although I don't have to refer to it too often now that the routines are in my head.

By the way, there are lots of things Flylady recommends that we take with a pinch of salt or ignore completely, eg the getting dressed to shoes stuff. Some people do find this helpful, others not at all (me included. I'm just as unmotivated with or without shoes ). You can choose what works for you.

Hope this helps .

Missed your last post before I posted - you'll see that I mention the 'getting dressed to shoes' nonsense. Yes, she is asking you to get washed and dressed! Flylady's theory is that if we get dressed all the way down to our shoes, rather than staying in our dressing gown and slippers or bare feet, this helps us to feel that we are in 'work mode' and get things done. For some reason, best known to her, she is obsessed with lace-up shoes. This is one of the Flylady tips that I choose to ignore.

Thanks very much toffee, that's really helpful

Am going now, but I'm sure if you have any more questions there will be someone else on here later.

Morning or what ever. Still feeling pants but thought as i finally manage to understand the "get dressed to your shoes" babystep last month i'd explain it.

What she means it as soon as you get up, get up, washed, dressed to go out (ie hair and makeup) and then think about the other stuff. Its supposed to get you going quicker in the morning then skulking about in a dressing gown drinking endless cups of coffee thinking about getting up which is my preferred method.

Not technically here as feeling very shit and we are having christmas dinner and presents with the folks today. long ago planned. reality is a bit chaotic and ... well lets just say life got in the way of a calm relaxing day.

Still lovely food to be eaten in approx 10mins so sticking with the traditional delayed christmas dinner then

Afternoon

Just drifting through on a quiet Sunday afternoon. We had snow yesterday, all day, so some of my plans are now on hold. I went out yesterday to do bins/recycling and the snow on the path was over my wellies , (that was in the morning, and it snowed here til the evening).

Today:
Weekend morning routine done
Make beds done
S/s done
Washing onto airer done
Clean washing away done
Out in snow - playing with DS on sledge, and checking state of the roads. No car has moved from our cul-de-sac, but footsteps to every house so our elderly neighbours have been checked on. "Main" road has been used, but is very dodgy - met person in car checking so see if he could leave the village from our end, as the others are impassable - no he couldn't, so we are snowed in! done
Cleared path to gate, and patch for cats so they can go out done
Make Christmas cake done - not a proper fruit cake, as I don't like those - I make this one with mincemeat, a variation on a Delia Smith recipe done
Make snacks and watch films done
Update my Christmas "To Do" list done
Change tomorrow's plans as I won't be going out to do the grocery shopping done

To do still:
Make curtains for living room
Tea - will be having the beef and tomato cassserole made yesterday, so just needs reheating
Freeze beef casserole made for Boxing Day

DS is supposed to be going to a birthday party tomorrow, but I think that will be weather dependent. We can't walk, as snow is over his wellies, and I may not be able to get the car out safely - and I don't think a party is listed as "essential".

Arrived back from ILs earlier this afternoon and still only half unpacked... anyone would think we'd been away a week. The fact that we did our weekly food shop while we were there and that MIL - as usual - pressed enough food on us to keep us going for several weeks hasn't helped. Have written a couple more Christmas cards and supervised two lots of piano practice since we've been back, though.

Ihate Certainly sounds like you've had a lot of snow - great fun for playing in, but not so much fun if you actually have to get anywhere.

DEM Hope you managed to enjoy Christmas dinner despite not feeling well; look after yourself.

Hi arabella and welcome! Toffee has already given you lots of excellent advice but feel free to ask if you have any more questions. Otherwise, just jump on board.

Toffee Poor you - I hope you took your DH's advice and are feeling a little better now.

Thank you for the welcomes

DEM - thanks for the explanation of baby step#2

Christmas dinner was lovely. And in true christmas spirit i ate far too much. i feel fat

Toffee hope you are feeling better.

Ihate snow can be a real pain when the infra structure for dealing with it isnt there. Hope you get dug out of the village soon.

Linzer - you are doing better then i with the christmas cards. I have just discovered that even the ones that were written on time werent posted

Hope everyone is having a reasonable weekend despite christmas plans, mils and the weather.

Glad your Christmas dinner went well, Did.

Linzer - unpacking for a family is a nightmare, isn't it? Hope it didn't take too long.

Ihate - hope you are not snowed in for too long.

Have come to bed early and am hoping for a good night's sleep. Doing the 'bed at a decent hour' babystep tonight, which I'm not so good at usually. But still feeling rough, so it wasn't hard tonight.

arabella it does really help getting dressed first thing - also I find it much warmer and I can't concentrate when my feet are cold! [also means you have to put your clothes out the night before - another Babystep towards efficiency and not getting bogged down...]

posted a long post about our party, but it dispparated from the net, so:
party fine more like a very big dinner party
not enough guests - only25 adults (10 children)! LOL (nod to MrsD and the cancelled party- I think I almostfelt likedoing that when 10thperson rang to say they couldn't make it through the snow...] but luckily lots of guests were neighbours

very tired afterwards, you always know after event what you should have wasted the prep time on LOL (not making 3 fishpies!)
mrsd impromptu parties are always lovely - but it is a sign of being organised that you could have one!

Very snowy here.
Have spent most of day watching a film or two
slowly wading through washing up and recycling
taking kids to 9 Lessons and Carols
trying to get children outside intermittently - they were playing loud balloon batting games and our house is too small for high jinx -

is it just me but my proposed schedule of pj days pottering around is just not going to work with three very loud and active children???? It took just one day of being home for hols to see we need to be out and about most of the time

Ihate quite unnerving to be properly snowed in, but ds must find it quite exciting and I'm sure he is very happy doing lots of things with you; you sound like everything is sorted

toffee hope you feel better tomorrow, it has been an extraordinarily busy week I think. I'm not surprised we are all feeling effects.

Morning all,

Still very cold here but at least we haven't had any new snow for a few days and it's supposed to be thawing soon. Spoke to my parents yesterday, however, who are housebound as the pavements and roads are too icy to go out; the town where they live is virtually cut off atm too, with no post or newspapers getting through.

Must get on with my list as have a fairly busy day ahead:

Morning routine
Make muffins for class party
Phone gas company to admit I read the water meter by mistake done (but delegated to DH as I was too embarrassed)
Finish letter
Hang up Christmas cards string up
Prepare English lesson
Wrap DH's presents
Find veggie Christmas recipe
Menu planning
Birthday cards x2
Piano lesson
DDs and me to hairdresser's
Afternoon routine
Pick up DS from friend's
DD1's class Christmas party
Evening routine

Morning.

Ds' school is rubbish at updating their website again so taking the view that if it was closed they would update it and getting him ready for school.

Today there are several plans:
finish sorting ss gift
get box for ss gift and get it sent
get more wrapping paper
finish writing the christmas cards and get them sent
pick up the material for the urgent project. (from two different shops in two completely different directions)
Hope that the roads thaw enough to be safe to drive anywhere
check to see if there is french club after school - i suspect not as they had a party last week.

And rest amap. had a terrible nights sleep last night and am feeling it today.

Hope you all have productive days.

Morning all...
sorry to have been awol for a while. RL with snow mixed in makes everything soooo much more complicated!

Luckily we are all on Christmas hols here now so no need to worry about school being open etc but DH still attempting to commute so I still have to defrost the car at an unearthly hour. Oh well!

Today I must
wait for Tesco delivery and hope it comes!!
Do a quick clean of downstairs done
post neighbour's cards
post 2 parcels
Do room rescues upstairs
iron
wrap

We are waiting for the post with bated breath as the website says that DS1s Oxbridge letter is in the post (one way or another). It's causing complete mental and physical paralysis on my part and I really must get a grip!!! The nearer it gets the more I'm sure it will be a no....

Can I just say - I HATE SNOW!! There I've said it!!

See you all later...

Gosh you all still busy with school and lessons..Linzer are the veggie sausages those ones with cheese and breadcrumbs? Any ideas for fabulous veggie menu for A veggie Christmas day (Three vegetarians so we are having all vegetarian Xmas dinner with a little meat on the side)
Did hope sleep improves

List
Buy slippers and wellies for dd
clean kitchen for friend
post cds
sink sink sink
put glasses away
return glasses to friend
take children out at 11am and get them dressed! that will be difficult!
3 loads of washing
take all the stuff I have stuffed in the broomcupboard out!