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 all! I am officially on one this morning!

So far I have:-

Washed up
Put half the suite covers in the wash
tidied/swept dining room
tidied/swept living room
cleaned kitchen and hob
Put washing in dryer

To do the rest of the day is :-

SHopping for DD's party
thorough clean of living room
sort out toys in living room including sending those back upstairs that belong there and have weedled their way down
DD's bedroom
Washing away
thorough clean of bathroom
Make a start on Ds's room

Thanks for the thoughts on the cleaner. Think I am going to go for it. We have a pretty solid friendship and she knows that at some point she is going to go 'eeeew ellie, have you never cleaned here' . As linzer said, it would mean that the thorough cleaning would actually get done instead of the perpetual S/S which reigns supreme here .

linzer that is one impressive list today!

ihate glad to hear it is not likely to be a uti. We ended up in hospital with DD both times as her temperature got so high and she just stopped weeing.

chb i hope you went to bed and did not declutter!

frenchfancy it's amazing how something as small and insignificant as making the beds can somehow make a whole room seem so much tidier and you much better!

pmpy glad to here things are ok. If it's any consolation we had the most unromantic Valentine's day ever. DH was knackered from work and fell asleep by half 9!

Better go so I don't lose my motivation!

Back later.

done
dressed, showered
3 kids to school with waterbottles and homework done
breakfast cleared
floor swept

Now I have to focus on "Making Sense of Your Sewing Machine" Class, and get sewing machine from loft and see if it works, then drive to class...

and the curtain....take that with me, if all else fails I can sew rufflette tape on the top...whilst everyone else is doing creative projects

Morning ladies - sorry to have been awol yesterday and over the weekend...RL you know!!
I started reading yesterday's post but gave up as there were just too many!!

I spent Valentine's evening holed up with 50 7-11 year olds at a dance show! It was hell on earth and I needed a lot of afterwards. The noise....I think I'm too old for this now and am turning into an old bag!!

Today:
Bought half price itunes vouchers on Tesco clubcards . If you've got some and want to do this you need to get on the site pdq as they are going fast!!
Tesco done
Morning routine done
s and s done
Clear up kitchen (didn't do it last night!) done
Ironing todo
Teaching later
Yoga later

Got to get on as running out of time. Ironing and here I come!!!
Have a good day all. Eliie are you on half term this week then?? Ours in next week....
Look at missions in the vain hope I might get round to them!! todo

Sorry about the random todo at the end!

Ellie - crashed about 2:30am. So tired I am not flying today but going back to bed. Sleep deprivation rules here so i guess this is going to have to count as the Fst fairy's requirement of pampering/looking after self stuff and thus my flying for the day. House is still tidy from yesterday. 2 plates and a cup in sink that will wait til later. Plus if i sleep i won't be creating any mess decluttering

To do list:
1 load washing to dry.
2 loads washing to fold.
Put basket of towels in cupboard.
Swimming lesson.
Early night.

*Fat

Happy flying and goodnight [smile[

offs :)

CHB

my morning has now reverted from mad panic looking for the sewing machine and thinking I was overdoing the Stepford wife bit, to genteel disappointment as Sewing Class was apparently (very popular &) a one off for me and friend due to cancellations. Last week's cancellations have turned up this week so we can't go...boo hoo. I was looking forward to it...

However, friend has said I should come round to her house at 1pm and do sewing there, so maybe I'll finally get to finish the dreaded curtains

Optimistic hope yoga soothes nerves

So, [brightly] but for some reason still glued to laptop

LIST
piano
veg boxes out
food shop to compliment veg box ingredients
deal with landing before carpets come tomorrow
get sewing machine from loft and put other things up there
find curtain lining material
throw lots of fabric out from loft
put excess tiles in loft
and Victorian novels (where I can find them) there are just too many books on the landing

Buy coffee
hoover bedroom (hoover in our bedroom yay!)

add to list
order Brownie Leggings
new shoes for ds1 (size 7!!!)
ring Sussex about Sorn car
find new home for Lego models????
prepare lamb casserole with old veg still left over
clear out veg compartment of fridge
throw any lurkers from fridge

Morning all

Have read yesterdays posts but can remember very little from it except MissJulie sorry to hear you are sad at the moment and missing DH and Ihate hope you are feeling better soon.

DH was ill yesterday so we were both in bed by 8.30 last night watching TV - Not a very romantic Valentines.

My day off uni today but unfortunately not off uni work. I also start my 1-2-1 swimming lessons tonight and am scared stiff (Irrational lifeling fear of drowning).

Done list

• Washing machine on
• Shopping done and put away
• DD deposited at school
• Cup of tea drunk whilst catching up

To Do

• Research for uni essay
• File uni notes
• Ring gym and book yoga
• Email school and send apologies for governors meeting
• print off e-mail with instructions on how to get to swimming lesson
• wash pots no sink shining last night
• toy declutter whilst DD at school - I need my living room floor back
• hoover throughout
• an hour on book club book before I get too far behind
• more washing
• find swimming costume
• My other room this week is bedroom so having 15 minutes in there this afternoon
• File paperwork - this is to the left of my computer not the right though so flylady is not right on everything
• Go swimming - [wobbly knees emoticon)

Back later

sorry have been AWOL since saturday have a massive project due in for my course and today is the last day so will be back to flying tomorrow......if I survive tonight!

Mid-morning cuppa time!

Have just got back from Tesco and have spent a ridiculous amount of money on DD's party, at the risk of sounding like my MIL, the price of food these days is shocking and I was trying to watch the pennies! Ended up taking MIL with us to get DD's present, DD has been deposited at the CM's so I can get the cleaning done and DS has elected to stay here and help me although has now decided he wants paying for it . Cheeky or resourceful??

om yes I am on half term although the rest of the country is next week like you. Made for a nice short half term after Christmas but a stinking long on before Easter. Think I would rather have had it next week but at least this way I am on holiday for DD's birthday!

Glad to see my swearing buddy is back on top form chb, I always feel bad when she is away . She better be sleeping now though!

makingchanges if you read through thread I don't think many of us had a particularly romantic Valentine's Day and good luck with the swimming. Takes a lot of guts to overcome a fear like that a little later on in life . Well done you!

leo good luck with the project

Right am going to unpack car and get cracking. Back later!

Time for an update to keep me going - this is when I normally start to flag...

Morning routine done
Mission - bathroom done
Mission - office done
15 mins decluttering in office done
Put paper in recycling bin
Take metal and glass to be recycled
Phone national insurance place
Finish preparing English lesson done
Confirm hotel booking for Easter and pay deposit
Afternoon routine
DD1 to IT class
DD1: thank you letters x2
DD2: letters x2
DD1: homework for dyslexia lesson
Update calendar with recycling dates
Buy exercise book for DD1
Find knee-length white T-shirt for DS's Fasching party at kindergarten
Evening routine

Am very annoyed as a friend of mine, who can be a little unreliable to say the least, has just phoned to say she'd forgotten to let me know that her DD (who DD1 was supposed to be walking home with) finished school an hour earlier today. The most annoying thing is that I tried to phone her about an hour ago to check that her DD would still be walking back at 12.45 as I'd forgotten to remind DD1 to wait for her, but - as usual - she didn't answer her phone or call me back so I ended up going into school when I picked up DD2 to remind DD1 to wait for this other girl. Aargh! Will have to drive to school now so that DD1 doesn't end up waiting around outside in the cold for ages.

ellie You're on a roll today! I'd rather have had half term later too (we had it last week here) as it's seems so long until Easter.

leo Hope you get the project handed in OK!

Makingchanges Well done on booking the swimming lessons. My mum is also terrified of water and so never learned to swim (which I'm sure makes the fear worse).

swan Sorry to hear about the sewing class disappointment; hope you still manage to finish the curtains.

CHB Yes, you should definitely look after yourself and get some sleep before you even start thinking about housework!

OM I got all excited when I read about half-price iTunes vouchers until I realised I'd need a Tesco Clubcard.

Right, off to pick up DD1 who is probably waiting outside the school as I write (no time to proofread so apologies for any typos!).

I'm having a cuppa too, Ellie. Glad to hear you are going to accept your friend's offer. It will help enormously, I'm sure.

Am not being very productive today, so I'm going to post a list to chivvy myself along.

Get dressed etc done
Put rubbish out done
S&S done
B/fast done
Lunchbox done
School run done
D/W - load (last night's not done ) done
Home ed - English (DS is finishing his book) and Maths (going to use BBC Bitesize again)
Phone calls done
Make beds
Wash our sheets
T/D
Hotspots (there seem to be an awful lot of them at the moment)
15min declutter in bedroom
Put laundry away
Water plants
Look at work and estimate how long it'll take
Lunch
School run
PM routine
Eve routine

Have had another nice, relaxing morning with Flyboy. He has been reading his book. When reading time was over (45 mins, the same as school) he asked if he could carry on because he's nearly at the end. It was lovely to be able to say yes.

After doing his chores yesterday, DS1 complained that they were "booooring" (the novelty soon wore off, didn't it? ). It's good for him to find out what running a house entails, though.

He's just finished his book, so we are onto maths now. It's proving very educational for me too!

Waves to all.

Linzer - that would annoy me too. How thoughtless!

Need to get up and move about as been sitting here working and I'm now COLD.
Need - hot choc please.

So far have:

• DC to school with right stuff - reading book, Learning log and something for Show and Tell for DS
• Morning routine - done
• Work - done invoicing now need to do Bank rec

Need to hoover something now to warm up (either that or go to ToysRUs for Hama beads for DD's party next week and Argos for hand mixer for me) Think shopping wins :)

Waves to all busy Flyers, will catch up later.

Linzer that would drve me bonkers too
Toffee glad ds is relaxing. It's lovely when you realise (as I realised with my ds)that a whole morning reading your book/chatting/being busy with practical things can be as productive as anything more formal. The problem is that you can't get 30 children to sit and read their books peacefully, so it never becomes an option as a way of learning, until you are at home.

ellie I once tried to give lots of 4 year olds lasagne instead of buying "party" food. It was not a success. The mums ate it though!

Deep in re-organising our bedroom furniture. What a lot of cr*p is up there, but I found the curtain linings, some more books to chuck with titles like How To Live Your Life and Stop Worrying
done
hoovering bedroom
fridge
veg boxes
made some biscuits from dough in fridge

leo what is your project?

Feet are you sure you want to do Hama beads at the party You are a braver woman than I will ever be. I have actually binned mine I couldn't bear them any longer and dcs always lost interest when it was time to clear up....and before they finished....and the IRONING!!!!

Lunchtime update - Still in the living room culling the toys - has turned into a mass general cull and tidy up and I am on my 3rd black bag. But I have found the missing hamster (Toy not real). I'm at the stage now where it looks worse than when I started so I'm having a break and grabbing lunch

To Do

• Research for uni essay
• File uni notes
• Ring gym and book yoga Done
• Email school and send apologies for governors meeting *Done
• print off e-mail with instructions on how to get to swimming lesson done
• wash pots no sink shining last night Done
• toy declutter whilst DD at school - I need my living room floor back Grr
• hoover throughout
• an hour on book club book before I get too far behind
• more washing
• find swimming costume Done
• My other room this week is bedroom so having 15 minutes in there this afternoon
• File paperwork - this is to the left of my computer not the right though so flylady is not right on everything
• Go swimming - [wobbly knees emoticon)

swan full on party food here, cheese and pineapple on sticks (but that's mainly for DH), the lot . And oh how I wish I was a creative baker. Just paid a tenner for a Peppa Pig cake...TEN POUNDS! .

Am taking note of the Hama beads conversations on this thread and hereby vowing never to buy them for DD .

Living room thorough clean done, clean covers back on suite, just a mop to do but am not bothering with that until DC's have gone to bed. Next to unpack shopping and tackle upstairs. After I've finished my of course .

at missing hamster. Made me remember when my mum finally found both of my missing hamsters (real). One of them bit her and re-escaped. She was not amused. I was .

120 did the biting hamster escape or was it freed?
glad you found toy hamster was going to call rspca there

Life is pottering on here. DH has just surfaced (off work again today as still poorly), DS is still dashing to the loo every few minutes, I've got no energy today, so just pottering round again.

Morning routine - done vaguely
Breakfast for DS done had to negotiate egg and toast for lunch as I wasn't up to doing it for breakfast
Make bread doing
Vacuum through rest of house done
Mop kitchen floor done
Washing up done
Make pirate hat, eyepatch, crown and wand with DS done
Clean washing away done
Washing on airer done - it's raining again!
Log DS trips to loo doing
Make DS bed done
Change our bed - can now do as DS has vacated it
Lunch
S/s
Zone cleaning
Zone mission
Chit potatoes
Beadwork with DS if he wants to
WI paperwork
Pay bills
Email friend as craft order has arrived and she wants her share
Dr appt for DS
Cook tea - something very simple
Bedtime routine
Evening routine
Relax with some sewing and ignore everything else that needs doing

Freed . Curiously she found one of them in a bin in the bathroom. We couldn't work out how it had managed to climb up the solid plastic side. Could have dropped from somewhere like the sink, but it was too big to go through the sink grate. Still makes me wonder that one.