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!

120 - maybe someone put it in the bin.(Am thinking cat-bin-woman here ).

Swan - that's so true about learning at home. It's lovely to be able to answer DS's questions when he wants me to, to chat about things, not to have to stick rigidly to any timetable. He is so happy and affectionate. I feel incredibly protective of him at the moment, after all he's been through, and it's so good to know that he's feeling happy again.

Ihate - that's probably quite a small list for you (not for the rest of us!). I also have a definite feeling of cba today too, so you're not alone.

Makingchanges - good luck with swimming tonight. You will feel so proud of yourself afterwards.

Ellie - when is the party?

Feet - hope you had a successful shop.

Home ed - done
Make beds done
Wash our sheets doing
T/D
Hotspots (there seem to be an awful lot of them at the moment) did kitchen one
15min declutter in bedroom
Put laundry away
Water plants started
Look at work and estimate how long it'll take have some mental block against doing this, but must get started sometime
Lunch done
School run
PM routine
Eve routine

There is so much more I should be doing today, but I just feel too tired to get on with it. I'm not sure why because I went to bed earlier than usual last night. Never mind, at least I am keeping up with basic routines, even if I'm not doing much decluttering today.

I love that ihate's pottering list is bigger than my 'oh my god I have all the family round tomorrow' list . I really am a slovenly woman .

toffee as mentioned above DD's is 3 tomorrow . Can't believe my baby will be 3 . Don't want her to grow up!

Just madly scrolled through the thread to try and find out the missing hamster drama . Didn't want to feel I had missed anything.

makingchanges have also had a bit of a cull here today whilst dd is out at the cm's and have thrown away quite a few broken baby toys and bits of things. Quite cathartic I feel!

Have now done DS's room. Just have to hoover up there and the stairs, S/S in bathroom, hide mount washmore on the landing (in our bedroom which was tidy but won't be for much longer) and I think I will almost be there. Have an hour and a half before I pick up DD so had better get cracking!

swan - was of the same opinion re Hama beads until recently and swore they wouldn't darken our door. However DD did some at Brownie camp, had obviously spent a lot of time on it and had really enjoyed it so we relented and gave her the stash we were given by next-door's grand-daughter (and had hidden!) plus a few bits we bought. She has been very good with them so far and it was one of the crafts she wants to do at her 'Cooking and Craft party' next week. As there will only be 4 (usually quite calm) girls I have agreed though I am prepared for it to be a disaster :)

:o at hamsters (real and toy) It's gerbils you need to be careful of, they really do bite and run like the clappers too!
Our two cats may be gits at times (see airer disaster yesterday!) but at least they have stopped any 'can we have a hamster' chat. However watching dim boy cat and ZhuZhu hamster can be very amusing :)

Have bought hand mixer AND made buns, just to test it you understand :)
Have also done some of Bank Rec so good day so far.
Time for 15 min decluttering before school run I think.

Feeling smug, doubt it will last :)

Russian hamsters are the worst. I had to take mine to the vet as it had mange, it bit the vet and wouldn't let go - the poor woman was bright red in the face, crying, had blood dripping down her hand and was whispering that "it's fine, he'll let go in a minute". I was so embarrassed , but I had warned her he was feisty. Next time I took him in, the vet and nurse wore thick leather gloves

great hamster story Ihate. They do like to hang on and mange is horrid. actually had forgotton about mange. AND mine was a long haired one. Uggh.

Am doing quite well with my fly today for a newby. Have cleared two hotspots. Mainly because an estate agent showed up with an uxpected camera, but still. Am pleased.

I have no hamster tales to tell

maybe not, but you have your own mount washmore... who knows you may find a hamster yet . I found amazing things in my laundry mound including a fiver (in DP's pocket. Didn't tell. Finders keepers).

In our house, any cash found is kept by the laundry fairy

I NEVER share money I find in DH's pocket. If he is stupid enough to forget about it, then I am clever enough to keep it .

ellie only £10! when I think of the blood sweat and tears that go into my cakes should be at least £50!

successful afternoon SEWING at friend's Hurrah!

Just back from coffee with one of our neighbours; all three DC decided to stay next door (they have three children more or less the same age as ours) so must make the most of this opportunity to get on with a few things in the afternoon for once.

Toffee Sounds like you've had a lovely morning with your DS. I used to love reading time at school; one of the disadvantages of the Austrian school system is that, with everything crammed into the morning, they don't really have time for all the children to sit and read, which is a real shame.

swan / feetheart I used to think that Hama beads were the work of the devil and have done my fair share of complaining about them on this thread. However, the DC seem to have lost interest in them recently and they're now staying nice and neatly in their box, so not driving me mad to the same extent as the Playmobil and Lego everywhere.

Makingchanges We could do with a toy cull here too. Must also finally get rid of the bags of culled toys in the cellar that I've been keeping just in case the DC miss anything (which only happens very, very occasionally).

ellie Every year I swear I'm going to make the DC proper birthday cakes, but haven't done one yet. We always used to end up with one of my MIL's Sacher Torten, but DH has been discovering his creative streak recently and made quite an impressive pirate cake for DS's last birthday. DD2 would love a Peppa Pig cake, btw.

cobwebs Hope you're all better soon and that you're back to your normal scary long lists.

Have been vicariously enjoying all your pet stories - the DC are always pestering me for various pets, but DS and I are both allergic to cats and in fact we've been advised not to have any pets because of his allergies. (Although DD1 did ask me whether this included fish and I had to admit it probably didn't.)

Really must get off the computer and on with my list. Update of the outstanding items:

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

I have a Fasching story too.. just in case we are all out of hamster stories!

picked up DD - does that go on my list?

120 you have a veritable plethora of stories . What is Fasching anyway? . And yes, picking up DD can go on your list, I try to put every little thing I do on my list because it then it looks like I have done much more than I actually have , I think I should win top tip of the week for that beauty .

Off to carry on searching for hamsters.

Do tell us your Fasching story, 120.

ellie Fasching is like carnival in the German-speaking countries and basically consists of eating lots of doughnuts, processions (always a hit with the DC as lots of sweets are thrown off the back of the floats) and dressing up. They go even more mad in Germany, with women going round cutting men's ties off.

I could have done with one of those iTunes vouchers as I've just splashed out $4.99 on the Home Routines app for my iPod (the first app I've ever bought). It fits in really well with FlyLady's system (routines, zones, etc.) Just need some time to play with it now and remove "Feed the cat" from the morning routine, etc.

Linzer - we bought DS1 some fish a couple of years ago. The only person who retained any affection for the fish was DS2. I'm afraid that, after the inital novelty had worn off, the rest of us were just waiting for them to die ASAP. DH used to get so fed up with having to clean out the tank. We all had to console DS2 when the last fish died, but secretly we were all delighted.

Have done the school run, planted DC in front of various online media and am now having a .

Will shift off my backside to put wet washing in tumbledrier in a minute...or two...

Hello flyers!
Hope everyone is having a good day?
Have slightly more energy and motivation today, although not much.
Done list:
Up, showered, moisturised,dressed, had brekkie, lunch, DD up, washed, dressed, fed twice, played with DD. Had cuddles with DD (:))
Did dishes, cleaned kitchen, briefly, shined sink ( :) )
Hoovered, emptied hoover.

That's as far as i have got, running out of motivation now!!! - Help!

Smoke to DH, who left for 5 wk trip on Sunday - he has finally arrived in Singapore, but has been in customs since 8am, his boat doesn't arrive in port until tomorrow, his credit cards have been stopped (as foreign transaction - thought it was fraud!!) , and he has spent the last 2 hours walking trying to find the train station!!! The poor love!! The job hasn't even started yet!!! :(

Have spoken to 3 different people on phone today trying to sort out his cards for him, but i can't do it (fraud reasons - aaaarrrgh!!), so poor DH shall have to do it once he has charged his mobile, which has died!!!

Shall be back later.......xx

Oh MissJulie I used to work in a bank and often had called from people stranded abroad shouting as we had stopped their card for possible fraud. Hope you get it sorted, we couldn't reactivate and had to send new ones out, cue lots of shouting but there are ways around it. Hope your DHs can just be re-activated. (I don't miss that job at all)

On a tea-break - Feeling a little ropey. Not sure if its rushing around this afternoon or panic about tonight. May have to have a break for 15 minutes before I crack on

linzer they don't have Reading Time at all in my dcs' school despite the fact that it's till 3.20. They have Literacy of course and guided reading but not quite the same. I like you have a dim memory of a time when we were meant to sit and read our book in the afternoon at primary school. I also remember we used to have a little rest on mats, but that has gone too I fear. Mine do enjoy school though I hasten to add, but after school it is quite an effort to get them to relax and enjoy playing - it does feel as if the best of the day has gone.

Thanks makingchanges, hope it just gets re-activated!!! he will be on the boat tomorrow!!!!!!
Hope you feel better soon. What's on tonight? (if you don't mind me being nosey!)

missjulie lost in my rambling posts was a similar tale from dh re: blocked card when he went to Germany last w/e. Luckily his mum bought everything for him (at age of 48 and he takes a stash of Euros.Blocked in Singapore must be much more frightening.

Feel absolutely exhausted now after giving children healthy and nutritious tea supervising homework, making dh vegetable quiche, making scones, frying courgettes for tomorrow's meal

stilltodo
take both sons to football practice(they have gone football crazy at a late age)
CLEAR LANDING before dh gets home at 7pm
quickly make bedroom less "work in progress", more work that is completed...

notgoingtogetdone
piano practice
something else - oh yes leggings and shoes

MissJulie First swimming lesson for me - in 1 hour, and DH not back yet and its in town so need to set off soon. I feel really sick. I know I'm just panicing. I only lasted one lesson last time as I'm so petrified but I've gone for 1-2-1 lessons this time so hopefully will be better

swan, thanks for the post, yes it must be frightening, but he has a colleague with him, so hopefully they will be ok until they get on the boat. Your poor DH, he must have been embarrassed about that!

makingchanges, good luck with that, i'm sure this time the 1-2-1 sessions will be better, just be honest with the instructor about how you feel, and remember to take lots of nice deep breaths to keep you calm. Do you have any rescue remedy that you can take, or lavender to put on a tissue, and sniff? May help. x

Meant to write my done list since last update!! (doh!)

done:
played some more with DD, put her down for a nap (only lasted 30 mins!!), so in that time all i managed to do was to give all the plants some long overdue tlc, watered them, took off dead bits, removed bits for cuttings etc..then clarted lavender oil everywhere, and in a bowl of water on hot heater, and in electric oil fan to see if it helps me feel any better. Just sat down with the i was going to have hours ago, and guess what.....DD woke!! Typical!!!! lol! ;)

Ellie - no hamster stories here. Was never allowed a pet. Ds got seamonkeys as a presents. we grew them and the little buggers are surprisingly resistant. was glad when the last one died but it took forever and they nearly got flushed Answer to the pets question is now "ask your dad" his house he can look after them, not in my house as I hae enough to do.

Slept 4hrs. feel like death. picked ds up from school. got screamed at for 1hr 1/2. took ds swimming. got screamed at. screamed back. banned ds and warned anymore shouting and bedtime is NOW. He is quiet and watching mythbusters. bedtime at 7pm due to non sleeping last night. I am taking sleep tablet tonight and writing tomo off as a loss and just sleeping. Lots.

House is still tidy with only a few cloths in lounge on floor. SO at least i will know where the uniform is first thing when ds moans about it.

MC hope swimming isn't ordeal you imagine, remember how brave you are at driving on motorways compared to some I have a friend who was similarily terrified after being thrown in sea at five years, and she has just managed a year of lessons, and got back her equilibrium so to speak.