Happy New Year, January's here, fly with the fledglings to get clutter clear

[ToffeeChristmascake]

Welcome to the January Fledgling Flying thread. A very big thank you to Ellie, our intrepid leader, for guiding us through the frantic Christmas month.

We are not strict followers of the Fat Fairy and take some of the babysteps - such as getting dressed to lace-up shoes - with a pinch of salt. We also strongly advise against signing up for the FlyLady emails.

From the first of the month, we will be following Flylady's tips on restoring order to our homes, using one of the following methods:

1. Babysteps
2. Babysteps + 15 mins daily decluttering
3. Babysteps + daily missions

Following the babysteps helps to establish daily routines and build a weekly plan.

This month's motto is: You can't clean clutter! See here for Flylady's advice on decluttering.

If you are overwhelmed by the mess in your home, start with just one thing: shine your sink.

And if you need to sort out the house after the New Year revelry is over, a crisis clean is what you need.

Back shortly with tomorrow's babystep .

(With apologies to Ellie for plagiarising some of last month's intro')

Hello all

Just fluttering past on my way to bed. Only just 10:30 so Flylady would be proud

Only routines managed here, but did quite well at the weekend with more clutter clearing of the kitchen. Hoping to finish it this weekend.

Haven't managed to catch up with the thread so will just say a general hello and goodnight and try to catch up tomorrow. Night all

Managed to complete most of today's routines, in spite of my decadent morning.

Afternoon school run done
Referee squabbling between DC done
2 mins hotspots done
15 mins declutter in bedroom done
Put washing away done
Empty lunchboxes done
Wash water bottles and freeze done
Make dinner early (chilli con carne) done
Bathtime for boys early done
Bed at decent hour for DC done
Shined sink done
Lay out clothes for tomorrow done

House is looking OK . Am rigidly sticking to the routines and keeping on top of things at the moment. Nice to see some progress in the fight against clutter.

Wednesday's babystep is to read Flylady's 11 commandments.

The mission is here.

Flylady's suggestions for Wednesday are to zone clean and have partial desk time. I don't really get the zone cleaning bit - surely that's just part of the daily mission, isn't it ? For me, Wednesday is the day to clear out and clean my fridge and to do my online shopping order.

Goodnight, Fledglings.

Good morning

moan alert been up since 3.15 with ds then dh squirming and shouting in pain with tummy ache, he finally went to sleep at 5.50. Cue Dd and her refusal to go back to bed. Functionality at work today maybe limited.

Thanks moan over.

Today's list
Dw
Wm
Td
S/s
Get dressed me and dc
Dc to nursery me work
Powerplate exercises in lunch break.
More work
Pick dc up/snack bed
Tidy up
mission (cupboard doors)
Flake again

Hope you allhave a great day

Nettie - HUGE sympathies re disturbed night. Hope you can function enough at work to get things done - (feetheart counts lucky stars that working from home can include invoicing from bed :o)

PA - hope others see through the rat's 'we' nonsense and that you are able to get necessary revenge at some point

Managed most of list yesterday and managed to deal with distraught DD (7-8 yr old girls and their friendships - argh!) and spend a long time chatting when I went to pick DS up from his first 'proper' after-school playdate.

Today's list includes:

• Email accountant with signed Tax Return - done (woke up early thinking about it so got up and did it)
• All up and out
• Morning routine
• Work - DH sorted out what he needed to do last night so I can get on. Would like to be completely caught up by today
• 15 mins in DD's room - more craft hell sort out
• 5 mins in DS's room
• Hoover upstairs
• Mission
• Possibly pick up DS and DD 1 hr apart if friendship issues not sorted out - if they are do usual Wednesday child-swap and pick up DD and friend after Cheerleading Club
• DC to bed early as both had late nights (for them) last night

Might try and sneak in a bit of book reading too :)

Waves duster and disappears to rouse sleeping household

Morning everyone,

Poor you, Nettie - I hope you manage to get through today and can have an early night. Hope your DS is better today.

feetheart The DC were late to bed here too - it was 7 pm by the time we got back from dropping off the DDs' friends and picking up DS - and DD1 and DS were both in an awful mood this morning, so an earlier night for all of them is a must tonight. For me as well, in fact...
Sneaking in book reading is always good.

Today' list:
Wash hair
Morning routine
Revise weekly to-do list
Mission
Recycling
15 minutes decluttering in other room x2
English lesson
Afternoon routine
Pick up DS and friend 1 from kindergarten, then friend 2 + little sister (NB take Playmobil and clothes)
Thank you letters x3
DC to bed by 7 pm
Decide which weeks in the summer to send DS to kindergarten and fill in form
Order new contact lenses
Evening routine
Early night

PA wave. Hope your 'colleague' gets what's coming to him!

Nettie : sympathies with the disturbed night. I think DS woke every couple of hours last night on top of DD's normal feeds. We've been up since 6 here too (but I stuck DS in front of the TV while I had a bath and DD is still snoring :) )

Feet : hope your DD sorts herself out. I have a niece just comi up to 8 and I've seen girls her age in action, they can all be very mean!

Been hectic the last few days, preparing for DS's birthday and last night was my first session of my childminders course.

Today I'm out all day but still plenty to do:

-playgroup
-lunch in pub
-rhythm time classes for both

• rest of birthday tea shopping
• kids off to XH

-make birthday cake, gingerbread men and crispy cakes for DS with niece -take niece home and pick DD up -DD to sleep -clean up cooking chaos!

• decorate lounge for DS's birthday

So excited. Its the first year DS really appreciates his birthday and this year I'm not miserable. Yay for antidepressants and divorce :)

Chairmum - :) at Anti-D's and divorce being recipe for happiness
Enjoy pub lunch and cooking chaos

Linzer - luckily my two weren't grumpy just very bleary. DH does a few early networking meetings a week and I always play the 'please help me DC as we are all on our own this morning' card. They haven't sussed me out yet :o

Must finish morning routine and stop faffing about on MN

Chairmum Glad to hear you're feeling better. When is your DS's birthday?

feetheart Bleary I can cope with - bleary is normal here, at least for the DDs - but we don't have time for tantrums before school! Unfortunately I can't play the sympathy card as DH usually leaves at 7 am and isn't back much before 7 pm, so isn't really around to help much in the mornings or at bedtime.

Seem to have spent almost the entire morning preparing the English lesson, so have been spectacularly unproductive as far as flying is concerned.

So far, I have:
Emptied dishwasher
Made beds
Put washing on and into dryer
Washed hair
Printed out/photocopied 88 handouts
Made 12 flashcards with sticky book covering film that wouldn't stick
Wondered where the morning went (I do get a longer morning today as DD2 doesn't finish until 12.45, but only have about half an hour left as English starts at 12.20)

Ds1 started Scouts on Monday which only ends at 9.30, and didn't get to bed till 10.00pm, knock effect on Tues was initially good humour, then ending in tears and shouting by afternoon/bedtime hysterics...and he had to write an apology to headmistress for shouting in changing rooms

I think we are going to have to change back to Cubs for another 6 months..

general collapse of morale - musical neurotics I call it, where everyone takes it turns to have hissy fits...[myself of course included dh has gone to work worried about his health...

Anyway, feeling fine today myself. Put out a lot of rubbish and recyling so far,

So

todo
pick up car
buy paint, new decision of texture
take dd to pantomine for Brownies
get back to help at Beavers, and take ds there
put into action my new WED plan
homework/music supervision
have supper out in cafe with kids on way to panto
Ladies lunch, possibly with ds in tow if he returns home ill ????

oh dear, better press on then

Cobweb well done for hanging up your curtains and doing the model race car with ds,

Nettie - so sorry about your disturbed night's sleep. It's hell, isn't it? Hope you get through today and cope with work all right. I remember trying to sleep in the loo at work once because I was so tired after being up all night with DS1.

Feet - sorry about your DD's friendship issues. It's so awful to know your child isn't happy, but it's really good that she's talking about it to you. Hope the issues get sorted out.

PA - lots of luck today with the work problem. I hope your boss can see that you had nothing to do with it. I feel on your behalf!

Linzer - it's awful when DC are tired and grumpy, isn't it? On the other hand, I have made an extra effort to get my DC to bed early the last couple of nights with the result that we have had horribly bouncy, noisy children first thing in the morning . Am not sure which is worse . Good luck with your English lesson today, btw.

Chairmum - sorry to hear you also had a difficult night. That's one of the worst things about those cute, cuddly little babies - they don't sleep. Interesting to hear you are doing a childminding course. I qualified as a childminder when DS1 was three. I worked as a CM for nearly three years, only stopping when DS2 was born. It was bloody hard work, but it did mean that DS1 always had other children to play with. Hope you get your pub lunch. Happy Birthday to your DS!

Swan - sorry to hear that you also have tired children. Hope you enjoy your 'ladies lunch' today and that it is child free!

Haven't been quite as productive as I should have been today, thanks to turning on the computer and checking emails. Then there's MN, of course. DH is off work today, so this now confirms his impression that I spend all day on MN.

Today's list:

S&S done
DW done
B/fasts done
WM - 1st load done
TD done
Lunchboxes and water bottles done
School run done
Put first load of washing away done
WM - 2nd load (sheets) done
TD - 2nd load
Make beds can't do till sheets dry
CLean and clear out fridge
Tesco order online
15 mins declutter
2 mins hotspots
Visit friend
School run (remember to collect friend's son for playdate)
Put washing away
Start dinner early
Dinner
DW
DH drive friend home
10 mins' Maths for DS1
Bedtime routine early
Evening routine
Bed at decent hour

Waves to all the fledglings .

I'm wondering whether there's much point in reposting my list when I'll have a house full of six children in half an hour. I should probably be realistic and just set myself a couple of goals.

So, this afternoon's list looks like this:

Check DD1's homework
Pick up DS and friends (remember Playmobil)
Hang up washing
Ironing (possibly not advisable with four under 5s around)
Supervise piano practice x2

DD2 is very tired and sitting on my lap as I'm writing this. She wants to know who I'm writing to... must get off the computer and give her some proper attention! ("What does proper attention mean?")

Hi everyone (just fluttering by at low level)

It's wierd how there's often such synchronicity between us Fledglings. Sympathies to all of you out there who are sleep deprived today. I currently have my eyelids propped open with matchsticks as dd (who sleeps in our room when dh is travelling) decided to wake up at 4am this morning to tell me all about her lessons and she didn't stop (despite strong groaningprotests from me) until 5.30 am)!! Needless to say, she then went back to sleep for 2 hrs and I didn't!!

Just finishing off some very boring admin for office work and then have to go and shovel master bedroom floor. Then make veg soup.

Fortnightly ironing lady is at home so I have laid out red carpet and garlands of flowers ...

Waves drooping wings at everyone!

Ladies lunch a great success, and persuaded ds1 (through the playground fence to stay in school all afternoon. He looked a bit teary though

Met lady at lunch who wsa feelng teary about ss school child. So then I felt relieved my chld was still only at primary school...

Painter progressng at great rate now that I've bought the paint

Thanks girls you all have me smiling and gigling with your posts.

swan painting for a painter is much easier with paint. The alternative is not worth contemplating
sc loving the garlands of fresh flowers and the red carpet.
linzer at "proper attention" when you find out please let me know
toffee that curious thing of dh being off always happens on my least productive days too. I actually blame him as he sits down a lot and i think well if he can do it so can i [sticky out tongue emotion]
chairmum route to happiness. [hug too]
feetheart invoicing from bed

waves frantically to all whilst jumping up and down, lotsa coffee equals lotsa energy

spectaculary unproductive day at work so far. combined with the brand new computer keep taking hairy fits when i try and save an invoice and turning blue and crashing (now that is worse than dd paddys this morning when i said go back to bed)
DH is still languishing in bed with tummy ache he has now attributed to the hedgehog bread i bought.

Rather than flying i have been reminded that im off out for a nice meal tonight with some mummy friends i havent seen in ages, leaving dh the dc to contend with and the ocado shopping delivery i havent told him about yet

thanks for the laughs and the support and the motivation

have lovely evenings

Nettie enjoy your evening out

Sorry to all those who had a bad night's sleep last night. Hoping you all have a better night tonight

erm... erm... hmmm... Sorry i have read through promise. It hurts to sit, it hurts to move. I feel like i know about every muscle in my butt, thigh and arms with a few back and stomach muscles thrown in for good measure.

Done Today List
3hours training
Pick up happy meds
Pick up ds' new glasses
Load of washing on

Lovely mum did a load of my ironing so will just need to shove that away.

Must remember I am too unfit and old to be training every day. Since friday i have done at least an hour every day with the exception of Saturday Thank goodness for a day off tomo.

Tonight's list:
Washing
Folding
Write birthday Invites
Early night -soooooo tired

Thursday's list:
Sort books for taking to bookbarn
Bank
Shopping
Drive out in countryside (part of bookbarn and shopping trip but very pleasant 1hr each way)
Pack for ds' weekend away

Great roundup again toffee, thanks.

I've had a less productive couple of days as we've had a little family holiday.

Back to serious FLYing tomorrow!!

I've had an unproductive day, so trying to play catchup now before going to bed at a decent hour.

My mum came round this morning, so spent time chatting instead of doing anything, before we went to the allotment. This afternoon I had to go to bed for a bit, as I still can't shift this migraine, its been a week now and I am very fed up with it.

Done so far
Morning routine
DS to playgroup
Washing on airer
Clean washing away
Hotspot
S/s
Make beds
Allotment
Lunch for everyone
Wash up from last night (DH said he would do and I came through this morning to find it all looking at me )
Sleep
Make tea
Everyone fed
Bedtime routine
Clean fridge
Menu plan for next fortnight
Shopping list
WI paperwork

To Do
Make bread (DH has finished the loaf so I need to make some for DS to take for lunch club)
Playgroup paperwork - being chased for payments by suppliers
Evening routine

Rest can wait!

Tomorrow's list is looking very short
Morning routine
DS to playgroup
Mum coming over - work on allotment
Lunch
Collect DS from playgroup
Take DS and mum shopping - banking, pet food, quilting supplies, grocery shopping
Cook tea
Bedtime routine
Evening routine
Find library books

Swan - I have created a vague weekly plan so I have specific days for doing things (or not ). Not everything gets fitted in every week though, and I have just noticed that there is no "me" time on any of my lists , so will look at adjusting them I think.

Just a quick fly past.
Big waves and hugs all round...
Back tomorrow I hope!

Oh dear, lots of sleepys around here! I can hear the snoring from here.

Weird day here. Work meeting was slightly odd as the "problem" was not mentioned, but I was able to bombard him hand a few details to him, which appears to have wrong-footed any attack. I am suspicious because he seems to have backed down a little too easily. Next Thursday is crux time when he has to explain to 170 people what he has done wrong. (This could have extreme consequences, so no small matter)
Anyway, in the middle of this meeting I had a call from the school to say that DD4 had not arrived at school today. After a few frantic phone calls, the police being involved, and full scale searches for DD and her friend (Her friends mum was literally hysterical and she was screaming at the police to find them quick "...... remember Soham, what if its happened again!" it was discovered that DD4 and her friend had decided to have a day off school. I felt a bit of a failure as a mother for a few reasons 1) that DD would be so stupid to think she could get away with it, 2) for not being as hysterical so worried as the other mum. Does the most worried = the better mum???
DD4 has arrived home tonight with the biggest attitude problem a teenager has ever had!! Fun fun!! I wish I had known what teenagers were like when I was breeding like a rabbit, I might have taken a few more pills .

So, maybe the man at work felt sorry for me and that's why he was so amiable????

Due to my extreme anger my kitchen has been scrubbed within an inch of its life. (it was better than the alternative of DD being within an inch of her life!!) So some good has come out of today.

I do hope you all have a better nights sleep tonight. I don't think I am going to need any rocking, either!

PA - poor you! Of course more worried doesn't equal better mum! More likely precious firstborn rather that number 4!. Come on now she's a good girl really and look at your kitchen! If all she ever does is try a quick skive that'll be great won't it?? (God. when I think of how much I skived when I was at school and me a teacher!!
Sleep tight and thanks for doing link on the other thread!

PA- you poor thing, what a day you've had! I'm glad all turned out better than you expected at the meeting and that all ended well with your daughter (apart from her attitude problem, of course). You are definitely not the worse mum because you weren't hysterical. You probably just have more self control and are more sensible. People react to crises in different ways. I am amazingly calm when my DS1 loses it these days and it's simply down to practise, but I often think that I must seem very unemotional and uncaring about him. I'm really not, but I've learnt to control my emotions and I know that the worse thing I can do is join him in showing extreme emotion. Btw, glad that you used your anger constructively by cleaning the kitchen!

OM - nice to see you! .

Ihate - I copy the Flylady weekly routine now and it works very well. For instance, I do all my errands on Thursday. I have added extra bits for myself, eg towel-washing day (my life really is sooooo exciting....).

Arabella - hope you enjoyed your family holiday . Welcome back.

Lair - sorry you are so sore. Hope you feel better tomorrow.

Nettie - hope you had a really lovely evening out. I had a big at the thought of your DH left alone to cope with DC and an Ocado delivery.

Still - laughed at you shovelling the bedroom floor. Also liked the red carpet and garlands for your new ironing lady. Did she live up to your expectations?

Linzer - I hope you are having a much-needed early night after coping with six children this evening .

I completed today's list. DH did a massive decluttering session in our bedroom, so I didn't bother with my 15-minute declutter, but did do 30 mins ironing (very jealous of ironing lady!). Have completed my evening routine - even shined my sink!

Tomorrow's list:

S&S
D/W
B/fast
W/M
Lunchboxes
School run
Meet friend
Back home -
Make beds
T/D
15-min declutter
Hotspots
Errands - library, buy present, post parcel
Lunch
School run
Put washing away
Scrub dining-room chairs (caked in ReadyBrek )
Dinner
Evening routine
Tesco delivery
Bed at decent hour

Hope you all get a good night's sleep tonight to make up for last night.

Back with steps and mission....

Tomorrow's babystep is to read one of Flylady's testimonials. Not something I bother with, personally.

Tomorrow's mission is here.

Thursday is grocery and errand day.

Good morning everyone.

Teenagers are all still alive, so good so far here this morning - ok, they are in bed and DS is swimming, but still good so far.

Earlier in the week I bought one of those "sense and spray" thingies. One the one hand it exceeds all expectations and the bursts sends smells all around the ground floor of the house. On the other hand, I think there is a subliminal message attached. Every time it "bursts" I get a guilty jolt. I bought the "clean linen" aroma one and it smells exactly like my washroom, so every time I smell it I have visions of ironing piles and mountains of washing!! I am off to get another aroma, for a more relaxing burst!!

Plan for today:
Empty WM - done
Load WM - done
Unload DW
Breakfast
Load DW
Sandwiches
See DD4 off to school - ensuring she knows which direction she should be heading in!
Work - job No 3 today, so lots of Sage work, which i love
Home for recovery "nap"
Dinner

My brain is addled today. If DH has a day off in the week, (when he works at the weekend) he always has a Thursday off. Been like this for the past 7 years, in 3 different jobs. So this week he has had yesterday off. So brain thinks its Friday and I had a seconds panic this morning when I even thought I had "forgotten" to go to the right job yesterday! Oh me of little brain!!

Perhaps a drink and hot bagel will wake me up a little........

Have a good day everyone and massive waves to you all.

SC - Well done on the ironing lady! I am

Glad you're soundng more chirpy, PA. [gtin] at pointing DD4 in the right direction. DD still poorly with a virus so fingers crossed she feels better for a day in school tomorrow.

Here's my list for today:
Get up properly (ie have a shower and clean my teeth - I'm afraid I do the station run at 7:30 having just jumped straight out of bed!)
Morning routine doing
Swish and swipe
Tescos
Errands
Washing/drying/ironing
One-to-one pupil
Paperwork
Move money so we can pay credit card bills!!

That's it for now...

Morning. Woken in a grumpf and the day is miserably cold and foggy. Ds on a go slow so late for school. Should be in class but still not dressed No amount of shouting is making him move faster. so cba.

Hoping coffee will help me wake up and get going. Thankfully have a long gentle day planned rather then manic lots of short activities.