If your nest is cluttered and getting you down, join February's Fledgling Flyers and turn it around

[pushmepullyou]

Welcome to the February Fledgling Flyers' thread. A very big thankyou to ToffeeChristmasCake (who will presumably return under her non-Christmas name ) for seeing us through the thick and thin of January decluttering.

All flyers and fledgings old and new are very welcome - we have a fairly relaxed attitude to flying 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.

If you are overwhelmed by the mess in your home, start with just one thing: shine your sink. It's amazing what you can achieve by just doing a bit at a time!

Pleased be warned that my month's leadership comes with a bit of a caveat as I am due to have DC2 at the beginning of March so there is a chance I may disappear mid month! Thankfully Toffee has very kindly offered to deputise in the event of the unexpected appearance of DS .

Apologies to Toffee (and by extension Ellie) for blatant intro plagarising and thankyou to Nettie for the thread title

See you all in February!

morning everyone,

My sink is soaking
make lunch
load DW
load of laundry
post office
pick up ds2 from school
vaccum living room
STUDY.......
declutter/ sort out massive pile of ironing

hi sick of chasing my tail, am going to join!

Thanks for the welcome!

I have to say it was lovely getting up to an empty sink today ~ don't look at the rest of the kitchen tho! :) it put a smile on my face this morning :o

Feb is probably not the best time to start flying again, I'm starting a new job on Thursday and not sure of hours for the rest of the month ~ eeek!

Feb for me is going to be:

keeping my sink shiny
meal planning/shopping
15 mins de-cluttering (as and when)

Baby steps, always baby steps!

Good Flying All xxx

Morning all

Mahoosive thanks once more to Toffee for steering us through the January gloom.

And mahoosive thanks to Pushme for volunteering this month and for this shiny new thread. Don't worry if your DC2 makes an unexpected early appearance btw - I thought I was on the list for leading this month (very happy to discover otherwise btw!!) so I can always deputise for you and Toffee.

DD was up frequently during night and still at home with stomach bug but isn't ill enough not to be bored (ifyswim) so I've not got much done as yet today. For that reason, I'm not posting a list because I'll depress myself!! [sigh]

Starting to think about my new year resolutions (being a month behind!) and I'm embarrassed to discover that they are almost exactly the same as posted on 1 Jan 2010 so I'm not going to post those either!!

Newbies - a warm welcome to all of you and don't be put off by my maudlin ramblings. My house is hugely better since these Fledgling threads started in Aug 09 [honest!!!] but still loads to do!!

I will follow baby-steps properly throughout February

I will follow baby-steps properly throughout February

I will follow baby-steps properly throughout February

AND declutter throughout the year!!!!!!!!!!

runforthehills can you get cheap white distilled vinegar where you are? (It's readily available in supermarkets here - Belgium - don't know about UK) It's my NO.1 cleaning product. I use it to clean EVERYTHING; partic in bathroom: tiles, sinks, taps, loo seats, shower doors, windows, any sort of glass surface. It is 100% natural, has antiseptic effect and also very effective at getting rid of limescale. Good to run a cup through dishwasher, washing machine and kettle if they get bunged up.

Have a productive start to the month everyone and Nettie - if we don't see you again this month - have a great holiday !!

Got up to find my pre-shined sink full of dishes as DP had come in from night shift and fancied pancakes for breakfast!

We've already been out on an errand today and got soaked in sleet so DS has hot chocolate and a DVD on. I am going to get DD to have a nap then clear the sink.

Sink
Lunch then nursery run
15 minutes decluttering
Hoover
Fold laundry
Nursery pickup
Make dinner

That'll keep me going for now :)

Hello to Leo Balinderry and all other newbies!!

Don't let our nattering on here put you off or the cutesy language of the Flylady site - the underlying principles are sound ...

Good luck preparing for your new job this week Colourarc

Morning fellow fledglings! Am feeling really upbeat about my de-cluttering mission!! I work from home (run a guest house) so am always up at some unearthly hour. Am very organised and disciplined when it comes to my guest rooms but don't seem to be able to let this flow over into my private part of the house. My sink is very shiny right now,just off to do the guest rooms and will start my 15 min de-cluttering session in my living room.

Good morning everyone

So, here goes with this FLYing thing! Gonna do it for real. Thanks for all the links PMPY.

I'm off to babystep.

Hello all- late joiner here too. Sink is nice and shiny.... and has windolene on it?!? V shiny now though

Stillchucking does the distilled white vinegar smell? I have seen it and thought about it but imagine my house smelling like a chip shop after!

Hi Sittinghippo

I haven't really thought about the smell tbh!! I suppose it does - but it's quite fresh and natural - and doesn't last long. Personally, I prefer it to chemical smells but there again, I like the smell of fish and chips too [wish you hadn't mentioned them actually, am on first day of new eating regime!! ]

Stillchucking, I use vinegar sometimes - it's fab actually. Must pick some up as I haven't got any just now.

So the list:
Sink sparkling and dishes done too :)
Lunch then nursery run
15 minutes decluttering
Hoover
Fold laundry done
Nursery pickup
Make dinner

I've also managed to get a load of washing done and hung out on the washing line now the sleet has given way to sunshine - first time this year :)

Morning ladies! Thank you for the lovely welcome.

Sink is currently bathed in Cillit Bang - Bleach is on the shopping list.

Day started off very well - managed to declutter all the pens, pencils, markers etc. It's been bugging me for ages, took longer than 15 mins - everything now works and has a home...baby steps....it feels good

Want to get more shredding done today - anyone else drowning under masses of paper work?

Busy here today! I am a bit dazzled by all those shiny sinks. Welcome to all the newbies and to the MN newbie, Colourarc.

Colourarc - I find meal-planning really, really helpful. I plan a week ahead now and write it all down on the calendar, so I don't have to think what to cook each day.

Runforthehills - yes to the microfibre/e-cloths that Linzer recommended. I would also recommend a timer (Flylady tip). I have to say that using the timer really helps me. Instead of worrying about finishing all my ironing, for instance, I just set the timer for 15 mins, then stop. It takes (some of) the stress out of housework.

Missmakestuff - at your DH not being generally useless

Mrsdisorganise - was wondering about hiring a skip for us this morning. Seriously. I'm sure we'd fill it in no time.

Still - sorry, I didn't know you thought you were going to lead this month, but I'm glad you are relieved that you're off the hook. Also sorry your DD is ill. Hope she's better soon (but not too energetic ).

Nettie - when's the holiday?

Doric - at your DH ruining your shiny sink! Mine does the same though. He is a great advocate of 'leaving things to soak' .

Am posting my list to keep me motivated this morning:

AM routine done
Lunchboxes etc done
School run done
Dr's appt cancelled because DS1 still ill
School run again (if DS1 goes to school) not applicable now
Lunch
15-min declutter
Laundry
Ironing done whilst listening to Woman's Hour
CRB forms
School run
PM routine
Dinner
Eve routine
Bed at decent hour

Lots of laundry to do now. God, I find doing laundry really, really dull.

Think I might use my timer. 'You can do anything for 15 minutes'.

Fuck me its busy in here today.

Tuesday's list:
ds' birthday present oh fuck
Panic havent the energy
laundry 1 load one
sleep. trying but its not happening :(
Been a shoulder for a friend to cry on. done

Inspired by all this talk of shiny sinks, I've just used my E-cloths to shine and polish mine (a definite improvement over my normal microfibre cloth). I now feel inspired to get the rest of the kitchen looking equally shiny - which I think is the whole point.

Toffee Thanks for reminding me that I also need to do a load of washing - have just put it on. Maybe we should have a laundry race to liven things up a bit.

pinkcushion I bought a shredder yesterday and am itching to start using it. We have folders and folders of paperwork; it's deciding what needs to be kept that's the problem.

I still haven't caught up after today's late start but am determined not to give up on today altogether. I need a list:

Supervise homework doing
Washing on
Ironing
Mission started
15 minutes decluttering in hall
Afternoon routine
Thank you letters x2 DD1 currently refusing to write them
Collect DS from kindergarten
Update calendar (recycling)
Take paper down to recycling bin down
Take metal and glass for recycling
Evening routine

Oh, and my timer is MIA - last seen Sunday afternoon - and I'm completely lost without it. I have timers on the oven and on my iPod but you can't pause them, which isn't half as good as I'm always getting interrupted mid-task. Maybe if I do some more decluttering it will come to light.

OK I'm getting there!

Sink sparkling and dishes done too
Lunch then nursery run done
15 minutes decluttering
Hoover
Fold laundry done
Nursery pickup
Make dinner
Load of washing done
Hung out on line done
Brought back in pronto because it's lashing rain done

Hello flyers
Missed marking my place yesterday, I'm one of the old timer Flyers who peeked in last week ... still trying to get to grips with the very busy thread and not knowing who anyone is LOL.

I have had a shiny sink for 7 years now, and have had 3 DC whilst Flying, and always my house is presentable (not perfect, but not embarrassing!) It definitely works!

Done
morning routine
school then nursery run
walk to town and quick shop
washing
Made lunch

To do
Play with DD
Afternoon/eve routine
Make dinner
Beavers run
Vacuum (missed out on home bless yesterday)
15 mins declutter (I need it!)

My sink is soaking done shiney
make lunch done
load DW done though after having 12 people over last night I need to put in another load
load of laundry done
post office
pick up ds2 from school
vaccum living room
STUDY.......
declutter/ sort out massive pile of ironing

oh and to add to the list
dinner

I hope everyone is having a good day I am having the worst procrastination day so far with regards to studying on the plus side if it continure the house will be sparkly up and down by tonight!

Thanks again for the welcomes!

Toffee the meal plan is on the fridge for either a week or fortnight, DS(11) has got fussy lately, so we worked out a range of meals that he likes and we base around that!

So today I have:

got dressed to my shoes (well, purple leopard ballet pump slippers :o )
got DD(3.5yo) fed & dressed (DS sorts himself out in the am)
put a load on to tumble
15 mins cleaning in the kitchen waiting for coffee to brew
been shopping
sorted dry laundry (DS stuff on his bed!)
fed DC
2nd load on to tumble

this pm:

sort clean washing and put away
sort next wash load
DH will be cooking today (yay)
play board game with one or both DC
chill!

feeling good

(prob should say, have both DC at home cos we Home Ed)

Oops, have still not done laundry. ( Linzer - laundry race might be a good idea). Distracted by 'active threads' which led me to this Mumsnet classic. DS1 found me weeping with laughter at the keyboard and demanded to know what was so funny. Ended up having to tell him (in child-friendly language). He said Roblox wasn't as funny as Mumsnet. ("And some of those Mums have VERY RUDE names!" he pointed out).

On a more serious note, Wendy - your post gives me hope. I must say that six months of flying has made a real difference to our home, although it still has a long way to go.

Must do laundry now...

Colourarc - I am considering home ed for my son (11)if he doesn't overcome his current issues at school. Do you mind if I PM you about it?

Toffee ~ feel free!

I want to say well done to everyone here, we all seem to be doing well! I think with the support here I'll continue Flying!

I also want to apologise if I don't reply by name to posts, I'm a bit overwhelmed by the amount of posts on here so please don't think I'm being rude.

I think, after careful thinking, going to call it quits for now.

I cant keep up with the thread. I havent got any motivation for flying and couldnt really give a damm about the chaos i am living in atm. Going to try to figure out sleep and maybe then things will get back to a point where i can rejoin. I cant see it happening in the next few weeks tbh.