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!

We woke up an hour late today - DS had helpfully switched off the alarm at some point

Managed to get DD up and out to schol on time - very glad it's only 5 minutes away. She's 10 and yesterday she walked to school for the first time so she was really keen to go by herself. I on the other hand was apprehensive! Still, she's sensible and there is always a lot of people heading that way so she finds a friend most mornings and I'm ignored anyway!

I'm working on a short list today as I am heading out at 10 to my mums.

Have breakfast and wash up after
Check work emails
Sort work order
Dress DS and pack changing bag
make beds
put washing on
pack my lunch and snacks for mums (on a diet - she's got a magical biscuit tin that is constantly full!)

Hope everyone has a great day :)

The round up was really great PMPY.

Morning all!
Haven't got time to read the whole thread so welcome to the newbies - some of us have been doing this flying lark for over a year!! . It does get better - promise!!
So today:
morning routine done
washing/drying
ironing
baking - again - DD (15) is going to Africa in the summer and has to raise £200 as a charitable donation so has decided to set up a homemade cake delivery service! She's had 3 orders already!! Guess who's paying for the ingredients and driving the car???
zone
mission
Lunch with lovely neighbours
Make sure DS has organised himself to get home from a night out - don't want to pick him up at midnight!

Have a great day all..

Linzer dd is also watching CBeebies (or CBBC)...
IHate I'm glad you did your sewing
Positive and Nettie you are clearly both superwomen - Nettie how are you fitting all this painting in????
Trinity don't be put off by everyone's lists. I can see a scone cutter on the floor next to cooker, a can of soup next to the honey pot, ds2 had a tantrum before setting out to school about how dd had stolen his Moshi monster and various other unmentionable cr888p everywhere. I did shine my sink last night. It took me five minutes, then I abandoned the sea of mess and went to bed.

PLAN
whizz round kitchen and bedrooms in my Flylady helicopter (avoid bathrooms)
sit down with dd and make a bookmark out of felt
do some painting with dd
cook some soup (veggies are looking forlorn)
extra for SIL and new baby???
ring Tile shop and order extra PALM GREEN and possibly some RASPBERRY before 12

optional extras
change sheets on my bed
hang up my clothes
go to tip with car and dd as an outing???with six bags of builder's rubble????extremely unlikely may in desperation resort to this if dd is in very bad mood.

Toffee it's brilliant that you escaped with dh for dinnner out.
I think you can but try the Home Edding. It is only I and half terms before changing schools anyway. You could see whether he would agree to enrol in some extra curricular activities outside school as a trade-off - drama music or sports, just so you felt he was still socialising. There are usually lots of oppportunities to get out and about even without going to school.
OFM also did Home Ed for a while I hope she doesn't mind me mentioning.

skip ds1 has been walking to school for a while and he is 10. I haven't let him go to park by himself yet for fear of getting into scrape (some rough gangs around here) but when the wnd is in the East I might chance it, and I see other children his age whose parents let them ride their bikes unattended..nerve wracking...

Morning everyone,

Waves to all the lovely Flyers.

OK this thread is really fast I came on this morning to discover about 50 new posts!

today
Morning routine done
Party invites for DS birthday done
Dressed to shoes-have taken shoes off again done
Shiny sink
DW
load of washing
Drop of DH suit to laundry done
clear up entrance hall
lunch
dinner
five minute sweep of living room for a quick tidy
study

catch you all later!

Morning All ~ waves!

no proper flying for me today, still on baby steps really anyway, as am getting myself geared up to start work tonight!
Not sure of my work schedule yet either so I will be continuing with my shiny sink and 15 Mins decluttering as and when I can.

(((hugs))) to those who are ill or with DC's who are unwell

to all those chucking out soooo many bags of stuff! :)

Thanks to PMPU for managing to keep up with the thread & to stillchuckingit for braving taking over!

I have to say, as busy as this thread is (and as little as I am doing) I am finding it very inspiring and helpful.

Happy Flying and I will try and check in at least once a day xxx

swan I like the idea of a Flylady helicopter - I could do with one of those (it might even get DS interested in Flying).

Skip It's interesting to see how parents in the UK are generally much more cautious (sensible?) about the age when they let children walk to school on their own. DD1 (9) has been walking to school on her own for the last two years and I let DD2 (6) walk without me if she's with other children. It's a 10 minute walk and they have a few roads to cross, but are very sensible (unlike some of the boys who walk to school with them in the mornings...).

One thing I'm a bit more sceptical about is how quite young children are left on their own here while their parents pick up older siblings. Our neighbour leaves her 2 and 4 years olds on their own (and has been doing so since they were 1 and 3) while she takes her older DD to school, and she's by no means the exception.

Have managed to prise DS away from CBeebies by encouraging him to look at his CBeebies magazine instead. Quick update to keep me on track (apologies for boring everyone with the same list day after day - if anyone is actually bothering to read it!):

Put away rest of yesterday's washing done
Today's washing in dryer
Ironing
Sew button onto DS's shirt done
15 minutes decluttering in living room
Take form into kindergarten
Take metal and glass to be recycled
Check which of us needs tick booster this year
Thank you letters x2

Been up since 5am, achieved very little - say no more! To do:

Dishes and sink
Put away folded clothes
Make dinner

Here goes :)

Sorry no time or energy to read through. Just lists today:

School run done
pick up paint shop shut, popped to different shop, found something bulking that had been looking for and couldnt carry paint home
pick up birthday wrapping paper
pick up bread and milk
washing 1st load on
dw
Bathroom 5mins room rescue done
Kitchen - benches, sink, floor
Lounge 5 mins declutter done
breakfast
lunch
landing and hall.

Yep crisis cleaning here. Plus building work. Must get on. will be back to tick things off and add more, but simply that. sorry.

My mantra today is "shit, crap, bollocks"

Morning, posting and running, as very busy at the Cobweb house this morning. DS has 3 friends from playgroup coming over to play this afternoon. Our house isn't the most childproof/child friendly in the world, so have to finish marking off play areas/no go areas. (DS knows where he can/can't go, can/mustn't do, so I don't need to bother normally). So, cookies made yesterday, popcorn ready to make, fruit ready to cut, mix of toys out in living room, and must finish tidying/cleaning rest of house.

Morning routine done
Walk DS to playgroup done
Clean washing away done
Washing on airer done
Washing in machine for tonight done
Vacuum living room done
Tidy living room done
Put away "no share" toys done (to safe agro, he will share most, but some are very precious to him)
Mix of toys out in living room done
Tidy DS bedroom done
Strip DS bed done - wet again this morning
Make beds
Tidy kitchen done
Washing up
Bins and recycling done
Write cheques for various groups (am treasurer) done
Vacuum through rest of house
Dust/polish through rest of house
S/s
Zone cleaning
Zone mission
Eat before kids come
Mass playtime
Go for walk round village with DS to deliver cheques, buy fruit and biscuits for toddler group tomorrow
Work out craft for toddler group tomorrow (am on duty)
Cook tea
Tea
Pack bag for DS - is going to stay with my mum for the weekend
Bedtime routine
Evening routine
WI end of year finance
Our computer finance
Exercise
Item from paper file
Find library books for tomorrow

Ihate your list is stressing me out! I think you need to chill and not crash and burn

My list
presents for parties done
loft sort out done
washing done
dishwasher and empty
clean hob
Baby DS's first immunisations
Tackle conservatory and sort out the Doodle drawers!
routines
Yoga!

BBL

cobweb have a fun afternoon with visitors.

still dredging through the morning here, trying not to get stressed, will have a large glass of milk to de-stress...

wendy oh, dc injections always make me cry - take lots of sweets for yourself - actually just being in the dr's surgery with a baby turns on the tap. I think it is all those calm professionals!

tiny achievement

done
have unloaded and reloaded dw
and wiped table

ordered some more tiles for tomorrow

dd has eaten some scrambled eggs

lunch is soup

silly question
if you were going to have lots of work done on your house

How much housework would you be doing

I seem to be fighting a losing battle

and I have the biggest spiders
I have ever seen hiding in the kitchen

off to try to catch him

and yet again tidy kitchen,,

Have got on quite well this morning, so indulging in a cup of tea and an MN browse, plus "play friend's mother" has offered to collect DS from playgroup, so that gives me another 15 mins extra (could do something productive, alternatively could sit and eat lunch sensibly for once )

Morning routine done
Walk DS to playgroup done
Clean washing away *done
Washing on airer done
Washing in machine for tonight done
Vacuum living room done
Tidy living room done
Put away "no share" toys done (to safe agro, he will share most, but some are very precious to him)
Mix of toys out in living room done
Tidy DS bedroom done
Strip DS bed done - wet again this morning
Make beds done
Tidy kitchen done
Washing up done
Clean pet bowls etc done
Bins and recycling done
Write cheques for various groups (am treasurer) done
Vacuum through rest of house done
Dust/polish through rest of house done
S/s done
Clean bathroom done How does a bath get that dirty that quickly??
Zone cleaning
Zone mission
Eat before kids come
Mass playtime
Go for walk round village with DS to deliver cheques, buy fruit and biscuits for toddler group tomorrow
Work out craft for toddler group tomorrow (am on duty) done making little foam teddies
Cook tea
Tea
Pack bag for DS - is going to stay with my mum for the weekend
Bedtime routine
Evening routine
WI end of year finance
Our computer finance
Exercise
Item from paper file
Find library books for tomorrow done - just one left in DS room for us to finish reading tonight

Alice we had major buiding work done here a couple of years ago (am still waiting for DH to finish part of the kitchen ). I worked on the principle that there would be a lot of dust and mess, so tried to clear things away if possible, and just leave surfaces which could be cleaned afterwards. (Boxes of things in rooms to be put back afterwards). Builders' dust gets EVERYWHERE!

I also gave up on the kitchen (top of cupboards, oven cleaning etc) as it was all going to be destroyed. The whole of our kitchen, plus the internal walls went.

Why not concentrate on decluttering (if you need to) so that when your rooms have been done, you can put them back together nicely.

Wendy not a lot of chilling goes on here unfortunately. I have found that unless I keep going on full steam, I quickly get behind, and that stresses me more.

I have found that flying helps, as I was able to get the house ready for visitors this afternoon without too much trouble (and I'm happy to have them).

Alice I suppose sometimes just keeping things moderately tidy is a good habit, whether it's a room that you are going to be for a year or a week. I completely agree with cobweb that it is worth putting as much stuff in boxes and away now as possible, leaving an emergency framework so to speak. Part of the problem with building work is not the room you are actually working on, but the rooms which have no work done on them but are piled high with stuff from the room you can't use!!!! Then all the rooms become equally awful and makeshift...

Not to mention making room for building "Stuff" paint pots, industrial grinders, bricks and suchlike, ladders....

We are making bookmarks now! With embroidery and rickrack Just going to fetch my workbox, dd has her own, a lovely fully stocked one from her Godmother...

Hi there busy ladies!! Checking in a bit later today.

Get up and dressed (incl.shoes as guests would not be impressed by breakfast being served by lady in socks . done
Prepare/serve/clear away breakfast for guests done
Clean kitchen/breakfast room done
Make Dc's lunches done
Peel small people out of very comfy baskets and get them to school done
1 room staying,make bed,tidy etc. done
1 room leaving total clean/make beds etc. done
Make our own beds
hoover top/middle and ground floor (6 bedrooms/4bathrooms/breakfast room/private rooms and breakfast room kitchen)
Put 3 machine loads washing on done
Put all washing in dryer done
Put washing away (always one that lurks on my list...)
walk dog
lunch with DP
Afternoon routine with kids
Cook T
Eat T (we ALWAYS eat as a family at a proper table!! )
15 mins de-clutter
Post T tidy
watch marchlands on ITV after putting small people back in cosy baskets
read for 30 mins
SLEEEEEEP

afternoon all

Still not totally sure I'll ever keep up with this thread LOL

pushmepullyou(wonders now if I gotthat right!) thanks again for wonderful roundup

tofee yes, as swan said I Home edded my DC for 2 years. Had 5 DC at the time, 3 of them were of official school age. Must say we all loved lots about it. I still miss it now tbh. Once DC no 6 came along however I just felt really over stretched, and felt it wasnt benefiting any of us any more...
We had a very active local Home Ed group, did LOADS of activities and regular outings together...the other kids were all wonderful too and my DC made some FAB friends.
I dont know your background as to why your ds is unhappy...but it's certainly not a bad thing to consider...it doesnt have to be forever either...My DC have been back in school for 2 1/2 yrs now and are doing great - no trouble fitting back in etc...

swan sounding V creative today...love the sound of DDs workbox

wendy hope baby ds is OK after jab

right well...am a bit later getting on here than planned...
DS2 is still full of cold and is in V whingey and clingy mod today. He was also up 3 times in the night, so we are both shattered...Have managed to pursaude him to have a nap now though...so catching 5 mins rest myself..

List update - Done:
6 DC up, dressed and breakfasted
laundry reboot
bathroom S&S
school run
HUGE grocery shop in Morrisons
Drink and a bun in Morrisons cafe (DS favourite weekly treat LOL)
Home
Sorted fridge
sorted 2 large food cupboards
shopping away
washing hung out
lots of hugging with ds2
lunch ds2

still to do:
finish menu planning for next week (almost done)
whites in WM
S&S downstairs bathroom
partly make dinner (meatballs in tom sauce with pasta)
tidy hall - todays mission
hoover lounge - again...sigh
hoover stairs
sort massive pile of paperwork on top of microwave
school pick up - dd4 only
park with snacks
collect dd3 from sports club and dd 1 and 2 from signing club + DD1 friend
drop dd1 friend home
home
dinner for dc
4 mile run (leaving dh to deal with reading and bathtime )
shower
eat
sleep!

right...best get on then!
BBL

update....

finish menu planning for next week (almost done)
whites in WM
S&S downstairs bathroom done
partly make dinner (meatballs in tom sauce with pasta)done
tidy hall - todays mission done
hoover lounge - again...sigh
hoover stairs
sort massive pile of paperwork on top of microwave done yay
school pick up - dd4 only next
park with snacks snacks ready
collect dd3 from sports club and dd 1 and 2 from signing club + DD1 friend
drop dd1 friend home
home
dinner for dc
4 mile run (leaving dh to deal with reading and bathtime )
shower
eat
sleep!

right...off for school pick up....BBL

Some of you have very scarily long to do lists!
I have not done badly today so far

Morning routine done
Party invites for DS birthday done
Dressed to shoes-have taken shoes off again done
Shiny sink done
DW done
load of washing done
Drop of DH suit to laundry done
clear up entrance hall done
lunch done
dinner
five minute sweep of living room for a quick tidy done
study done (well to be honest only a little bit)
also
Hoovered car done looked like a tip all nice and clean now
All the outside windows nice and clean curtesy of window cleaners not me

So need to
Pick up DS from school
Dinner
take DS to his swimming trial this evening
studying
Doing some games/ puzzles with DS2
Homework with DS1 and 2 (I am still getting my head around getting homework in reception)