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')

children have gone to sleep

had a bit of a limbo day really with dh away and sort of paralysed by building work going on around me..

done
chatted to friend on phone who was in a state (this always makes me feel better
picked up catechism book
walked
did brief food shop
pickup
fed and watered kids (fried potatoes with Polish bacon and onion delicious)
hoovered bedrooms and landing and stairs after builder

however now I must

todo
tidy upstairs bathroom
keep up good work in kitchen
eat popcorn

Cobweb you have done so well, I hope tomorrow you can have a little r & r not just rr's.
Linzer hope your friend's husband has some good input in Germany - your dcs are obviously looking after their little friend very nicely.

Hi MC
OFM I hope you are relaxing too and that Sat is not too busy and dh is in a good mood! It feels a slight relief to have dh absent (although I just said it was limbo as I can meander through various tasks without him looking reproachful and neglected. He is home tomorrow though
Lair hi

chairmum hope you feel better tomorrow, sounds a tough day guaranteed to try the nerves of the cheeriest soul on this planet, the porridge and Blt sound brilliant warder offers, that was very organised of you

Linzer my parents paid no attention to me practicing piano (I was a bit older when I learnt first), and I never practised consistently and kept bunking lessons; they went the other way which was to be pleased I played but not really involved (they weren't musicians at all)- so I vowed to try and keep my children a bit motivated and make a regular slot - but I suppose I don't have very high standards at all and am just hanging on by the skin of my teeth hoping they will get something out of it in the end....and meet some nice people in co-ed orchestras when they end up at their dreaded single sex schools as teenagers

oh dear, must eat that popcorn

Hello and welcome to Starbear, OverflowingMum and MakingChanges. Our regular leader is Ellie, who was last seen hiding in the corner (teaching is a difficult job ), but I have been second-in-command this month. Pushmepullme has volunteered to do the February thread, with me as back up for the days she can't do.

Hi Lair. Hope training goes well.

Ihatecobwebs - I second Swan - get some r&r if you can.

Chairmum - you are doing brilliantly. I'm so sorry you had a hard day today. Hope you get the sleep you need tonight.

Swan - it's so stressful having builders in the house. You must be relieved that you will have the house to yourself for the weekend.

Linzer - it's lovely of you to have your friend's son over for the night to help out. I'm sorry her husband wasn't well enough to travel. What a very sad situation . I hope your DC are over their bugs for the weekend.

Systems - You are right about bookselling being a small world. DH has worked in bookshops all over the South East - it would be funny if he and your DH knew each other, wouldn't it?

We did have to postpone our cinema visit after all. Both children are ill and were miserable at the thought of us going out and, to be honest, both DH and I are too shattered from lack of proper sleep to enjoy going out. Oh, the joys of family life! Maybe we'll get out next week instead.

Back shortly with steps...

Tomorrow's babystep is to eat good food, drink your water and get your rest. Good sensible advice. This week has certainly demonstrated to me how lack of sleep affects motivation, although, as we know, sleep is not always something one has any control over.

Saturday is Family Fun Day . Do your basic routines only. Saturday's daily reminders are here.

There are no missions at the weekend.

training good but this is sooo not an early night Goodness knows what i am going to do next week when i have a 4:30am sat morning start

Morning all, hope everyone OK

Just flapping past in readiness for next month's thread, but I can see you are all sorted which is great.

Thank you to PushmePullyou for volunteering for Feb and to Toffee for doing such a brilliant job during January.

A warm welcome to Starbear, OverflowingMum and MakingChanges

We are about to go away overnight to visit a friend, so won't be back on here until Monday when I will be working on last Thursday before last Thursday's list!!! (Life has been a bit fraught of late - loads of absence in the office because of "la grippe")

Determined to Fly more consistently in February!!!!!!

Have a great weekend everyone!!

No time to completely catch up with thread but a special "hello" to Chairmum. Hope you are OK!! Pat yourself on the back for getting through a stonking list yesterday!

Oh and hope everyone who is poorly or who has poorly dc's gets better soon

See you on Monday!!

Fledglings - any ideas for February thread title?

Both my DC are coughing and sneezing today. There is no way DH and I are going to avoid all the germs flying around, is there?

Lair- 4.30am start? NOoooooo!

Still - have a lovely time away. (I am trying to catch up with old lists too, btw ).

Hope you all have a lovely Saturday.

Now
get dressed
get 3 x dcs dressed
get ds1 off to orchestra for 9.15 (he'll walk there himself)
take twins with me to catechism for 9.30
then brisk walk/bus
get ds2 to football for 11am
whilst depositing dd at choir for 10.30...
then take dd to violin (she'll walk herself - it's all in the same building)
pickup dd from violin and ds2 from football simultaneously (will avoid speaking to poor violin teacher about dd's lack of practice

doesn't look good, but I might just manage it after a cup of coffee
once I'm sitting at music school with a cup of coffee and a bun in my hand all will seem fine

SC have a nice weekend away from fluey flyers.

Thread Title "Cold Winds and Green Shoots, Fledglings are Lacing Up Their Boots" or
"Clutter may Confuse us, Dust may Settle, But Fledglings are Here to Put on The Kettle"

or "If your Nest is Cluttered and Getting You Down, The February Fledglings are Back in Town!"

I think those were my exact words toffee. I mean come on, we ditch early monday training and then they make us come in early on a saturday that's just fucking evil. Hey ho. Comp in april so its head down and train hard til then.

Right must procrastinate anymore.

To do:
Blackpool
laundry
put clean clothes away
early night

In this house old lists get binned and the job gets rebooked. or atm ignored.

old lists definitely binned here Lair and SC I think every week puts on a new spin on what actually needs doing

Ds1 gone to orchestra
dd is getting dressed
I am dressed..sort of
bbl to do some clearing of mess

Good afternoon all

DH has taken DD to swimming and dance class this morning to allow me a lie in (People keep telling me I look tired ) so I've had a lovely morning so far.

Done so far

• 2 x laundry
• kitchen tided
• googled why water is running down side of house (appears to be toilet overflow) going to see if DH can fix as really can't afford a plumber

To do

• sort out clean clothes and put away
• find Sat Nav and charge for Monday (School placement and no idea where it is)
• read school placement paperwork
• load some stuff onto amazon and ebay to sell
• tidy bedroom
• change DDs bedding
• Pack DDs overnight bag

Am off to see Peter Kay tonight so not much time to get things done so better get moving.

Will do personals when get to know people

DH has gone out on an emergency mission to buy a new coffeemaker. I really need a coffee to kickstart me into action this afternoon: I'm trying to tidy up, but keep getting distracted by DS and my new laminator.

Done so far:
Picked up DC's skis, so now all set for the semester holidays
Took DC to paint photo frame for FIL's 75th birthday
Bought birthday present
Spent too much money at children's bookshop
Laminated lots of flashcards

Still to do:
5 mins RRs in living room, hall and kitchen
Plan English lesson
Supervise piano practice x2
Thank you letters x2
Update calendar
Book flights for summer
Fill in kindergarten form

swan I like all your thread titles, esp. the last one, but was wondering whether we need Flyers/Flying in there somewhere, e.g. February's Fledgling Flyers are Back in Town

I like the cluttered nest analogy! Guess I need to actually start the thread at some point
Makingchanges, I saw Peter Kay last year and he was fabm haave fun!

ooh I wish someone would flash some cards at me - motivational ones saying things like "stop Shouting" or " get on with it!"

have just very very badtemperedly dumped a carload of stuff in dd's room, and told her to tidy it herself if she doesn't want me sorting out her drawers [hmppff]

boys are watching a football match with Manchester in it

we have played all afternoon, they are not good at it, very depressing their inability to play...
they played Harry Potter with some biros (wands) [?) for about five minutes
Playmobil Hospital (getting it out of dh's study - aargh) for 30 minutes
and quarrelled and complained a good deal
like their mother

Busy morning went quite well though and fry up for lunch

done
front room almost tidy, coats etc back in hall and cupboard
pictures back on walls in hall
some thngs thrown out
dw on
table wiped
lunch made
mornng activities done
catechism class helped with (not a success with twins in tow, had to leave early)

MC placement exciting

Actually day has been fine I just hate hate hate all these toys that they aren't playing with but that I'm not allowed to throw away, and make us all badtempered when we trip over them.

Today at lunch dd announced she wanted to play with Sylvanian Cottage Hospital. Now I had given that away a full year ago to my cousin who has three littler children, and it's taken her that long to notice. But she was furious....And dh is exactly the same.

He's back at six, so want the front room to look nice

I have achieved some of my list - blackpool. But omg are my ears about to bleed. Ds has chatted crap loudly and insessantly for 6 hours straight. I am going on strike and going to bed when he does. Anyone know when this phase ends?

Hello all
I'm another OldTimer Flylady, Swan has encouraged us all to join you on here, so here I am!

done
all routines except bedtimes yay!
played with DC
had a snuggly nap with Baby DS! (who is now 8 weeks! Wow, where has the time gone!)
Baked a chocolate cake and banana bread - felt great to provide treats for the family, haven't done much of it for obvious reasons lately
took DD to dancing

need to decide whether to bid on a dining table on ebay.
DH has been to the car garage to look at MpVs now we have 3 chidren. Any recommendations? I know there are several threads on this subject just want to know my friends' opinions!

Well looking forward to getting to know you all

hi Wendy, you are doing better than me

we have a Renault Scenic, usual trouble fitting in 3rd car seat, although my dcs are now old and tall enough not to need them. Otherwise it is fine. Nice and high up. Friends have variously large Ford Galaxy, Renault Espace, Picasso. The friends with 3-4 children that is. Sister had Volvo with seven seats, low estate, but it kept going wrong, although great suspension!

Front room is now beautifully tidy and welcoming, as is a small section of hall. The rest is a tip
Supper is cooked
Dh not home till 10pm now, as plane delayed.

lair it continues, the chatting I mean. I think it takes a while for them to converse two way It is tiring I know, but I suppose better than screaming.

Although the Espace seemed to have some wiring faults.. just from hearsay.