If you're house is cluttered and you're Mad as a Hare, join March Fledgling Flyers and get it all square

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes]

Following on from the February Fledgling Flyers thread, welcome to March. This is the thread that follows the Flylady website (loosely) for getting your home decluttered and your housework into routines, whilst dispensing tea and chat freely.

A big thank you to PushMePullYou for leading us through February ably assisted by ToffeeFudgeCake. We had a huge influx of new posters as well, which was lovely, anyone else who is lurking, please say hello, you will be 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!

Good morning, Linzer and welcome, Neenook.

Linzer - well done on persuading DH to declutter the drawer. Hope you enjoy your quiet day today.

Neenook - I have been on this thread for about eight months and I really can see a difference in my house, although I still have a long way to go. Establishing basic routines has meant that the house looks fairly respectable most of the time - so long as you don't go in certain rooms . Decluttering is really the key to it all and doing 15 minutes a day makes a surprising difference. If you start with the babysteps and 15-minutes a day decluttering, it will pay off, I promise.

Swan - have a lovely lunch out today

As I expected, I am feeling a bit groggy after going to bed too late last night. Also, I can hardly say I had a proper lie-in as it's been like Picadilly Circus in this bedroom this morning. Am about to get up and prepare lunch for our guests today, then do a quick tidy up, then get myself ready (will need a good hour for that - it takes time these days ).

Hope you all have a nice Sunday.

DH and the DC have fetched all the Playmobil up from the cellar and the living room floor is now covered. Even DH has been forced to admit that we have rather a lot of it. They (DH + DC) also decided this morning that we'll be going to Playmobil land on one of the long weekends in June. DD1 has already been on the website eyeing up the shop, then counting the money in her piggybank.

I'm in the middle of filing all the paperwork that DH decided to keep. There is also rather a lot of it so I should probably tackle it in 15 minute bursts.

Welcome Neenook - just jump on board and ask if you have any questions. As Toffee has already said, decluttering is key. Some of the baby steps are more useful than others, but I find that the first one (shining your sink) really does make a big psychological difference.

swan The DC will never part with a single toy or game, even if they haven't played with it for years. Hope you enjoy your lunch in Stoke N; I remember going to a lovely Swedish restaurant there years ago.

Toffee Sorry to hear your lie-in wasn't particularly relaxing. Hope you have a nice time with your guests.

Morning all

Had no time yesterday for any FLYing

Welcome neenook I'm new too. It's lovely here, everyone's so friendly and supportive. And what toffee said has really struck a chord - it's been quite amazing the difference that just posting on this thread has actually made to the state of the house this week.

swan have a lovely lunch out
linzer you've got the whole family FLYing! well done. I still need to properly file some of the paperwork mountain I tackled last week. That will be my 15 mins for today too.
toffee sounds like it's a busy day, hope you have a great time and that lunch goes well

Have a lovely Sunday everyone energetic

Today's plan:

clear out car
take ds out to walk.

However, this might fall flat as

1. i forogt my meds last night, didnt sleep well and the bastard headache is back
2. Ds refused to drink his sleep meds last night, and forgot what the drink was that he had on his desk and drank the rest this morning. I expect him tired, yawning and sleeping in the car by just after lunch. Bugger.

Will be back later to read hopefully.

Morning all ~ was working yesterday so it was a no fly day!
Got home to discover DH had started on painting the kitchen, YAY! which means I'm looking after the DC today. And if we are in the kitchen with the fat fairy this coming week then all is good!

Toffee for me the main joy of Home Ed is that you don't need to stick to one the subject, you said yourself looking at artists that paint fish etc. A project on fish can encompass History, Biology, Art, Goegraphy, you name it! Whoknows & Ihatecobwebs & Swan gave some good ideas too.

Happy Flying all, catch you all later

Hello lovely flyers!
Sorry have been a bit awol the last few days!
Have been busy, but not got much flying done!
Hope everyone is having a good wkend!
So, my e-cloth has arrived! Now what ?

Been pottering about today, tidied up a little, hoovered, and have played with DD a lot!

Having a lovely, chilled out wkend, was at the ballet yesterday to see Swan Lake on ice, it was superb! Make it look so effort-less!

HUGE tesco shop arrived, so got in unpacked - phew!

Am to say am still in my pjs though! Am tired!
Going to try and get showered when (if) DD naps!
Catch you all later! xxx

Just popping in on a flying visit to say Hi

I'm afraid i'm not feeling so well today so a) I haven't thoroughly read the thread and b)I haven't rally managed to do any flying. That said however, I have shined my sink and stripped the bed and washed the bed linen. My to do list today included decluttering the living room unit. Thankfully DH took pity on me feeling like shite so ill, that he decluttered the living room unit on my behalf

Catch up with you tomorrow x

DS is in bed, just got the washing up to do, then I've got a the rest of the evening to myself (Friday evening didn't happen ). Really should be writing invoices and photocopying accounts, but have decided to stuff those jobs into tomorrow, and have an evening off. DS is chasing for his quilt - is it finished tonight? If you do tonight and tomorrow, can I have it for sleep tomorrow? etc. As I'm still piecing, no he won't .

We had a quiet family day, indoors this morning then outdoors this afternoon. DS and DH cleaned my car, cue very wet DS and DH (DS had full waterproofs and boots on, as I know what he's like, DH is old enough to decide for himself what to wear).

Morning routine done
S/s done
Make beds done
Make bread done
Baking done
Lunch done
Washing up done
Clean washing away done
Vacuumed car done
Bins, recycling etc, out for binmen done
Gardening - lots done - veg beds are now ready for action, and other areas cleared, as DH wants me to move things around this year.
Cook tea done
Tea done
Bedtime routine done
Evening routine - doing (well I should be, but have been sidetracked by MN )

Evening all,

A bit quieter on here today (phew), we have had a fairly relaxed day with an outing to our favourite local National Trust property, which has fabulous grounds, the DCs love it there and know every inch of the gardens.

I?m very tired and have a lot to do so this is going to be a short one,

Hello to LongtimeinBrussels who popped in late last night to say hello, well done with your washing and ironing (I?ve got 3 machine loads of dry washing on my bed to sort out and ?shove in a basket?iron tonight)

Toffee ? mixed feelings about the Wii. We bought it partly because everyone else seems to have one and I have seen how the DCs enjoy using it at other people?s houses, partly because it is a really useful standby when his friends come round and he doesn?t always play very well with them, partly because we did think we would all enjoy it. It has proved to be a mixed bag really. DS is totally addicted to Mario Karts (this seems to be common in boys his age), I have to police it pretty strictly as he would play it all day every day if I let him and no sign of a let up 4 months in. He is capable of a meltdown if he loses, but that is true of any game with him. There are other games that we all enjoy though. For me, as well, my two are at that age (5 and 7) of being too old for most of Cbeebies but there is not much else on telly that I think is suitable, so they are doing more Wii and less telly. I am definitely trying to steer them towards the more physical games such as the dancing and sports ones.

Also for Toffee ? another Lakeland recommendation (I think it was SC who recommended these to me), chopping boards that go in the dishwasher, brilliant!

Linzer has been swamped by Playmobil and lego, but at least it is getting sorted

Neenook decided to join us, welcome on board

Swan has been travelling to the other side of London and back

CHB and DS didn?t have their respective meds at the right time, so headache is back and DS has probably been asleep

Colourarc found that DH had started painting the kitchen just in time for this week?s zone work

MissJ is in possession of her E-cloth. Damp it and wipe with it, they are brilliant for dusting also getting fingerprints off walls, wiping marks off appliances etc, I even clean the car with them

CelestialStarlight is not feeling well, hope you are better soon

Cobwebs is having an evening off, and why not?

Waves back at Simone, also anyone else who is around

Back in a minute with some links.

Monday

Babystep Put out your clothes for the next day, one of the best ones IMO.

Mission. Not going to second guess it, but it is the Kitchen Zone this week.

Thanks for the Round up and links WhoKnows

I am also a big fan of this babystep and regularly slip out of this habit.

Have been quite quiet this W/end. Managed to get 15 mins decluttering in each of DD's and the boys bedrooms. Needs a good hoovering through the downstairs but apart from that i have managed to keep on top of everything.

Have a lovely list planned for the week so actually looking forward to it.

Hi everyone

Sorry I haven't been around the last couple of days, been trying to tidy the house a bit and enjoy my last couple of days being a mum of one!

Thanks for the roundups whoknows, I would have no ideas what was going on without them!

I am rubbish at tomorrow's babystep, partly because our bedroom is so small there is nowhere to put clothes out for the morning. Although at the moment I have only one t-shirt and one pair of trousers that fit, so my routine is to wash them every night so I can put them back on

I have to put the piles of clothes on the floor PMPY! Mine next to the bed, the DCs on the landing outside their doors. I dream of huge bedrooms.

Evening all - hope you are all well.

I remember that stage so well PMPY

Thanks for the round up Whoknows you are doing fabby job

Not caught up today - DD still ill. My car has been in pieces, it hasn't been running right for weeks, found out most of pipes under bonnet weren't connected - running somuch better now

Have been to placement school that starting Wed to find out where it is, not a bad run, mainly countryside.

Washing done, been swimming to practice and booked a summer holiday.

Just off to bed, don't know whether to wake DHup who has been asleep on sofa for hours.

Jobs for tomorrow

• Catch up on washing - most of washing this weekend has been cleaning up after illness
• 15 Minutes on paperwork that is mounting up in kitchen
• Sort out child care for various outings/trips etc that have to do this week.
• Prepare folder for school placement
• Hoover lounge
• Uni all day

See you tomorrow

Me too! Sorry to have been awol.

Mahoosive waves to Pushme! Not long to go now [ripping up sheets emoticon]. So excited for you!!! If you don't get back on here tomorrow, sending huge un-Mumsnet-like hugs and positive thoughts ....

Had a lovely day today - cold but sunny - ambling along in woods astride an old nag armchair of a horse while dd cantered and bucked around menage on Shetland who is full-barrelled in every sense. I could swear it was grinning out of the side of its mouth at one point.

Holiday plans appear to be falling through though. Without going in to entire saga, pil crisis deepening - office needs cover...All feels a bit crap tbh because I was looking forward to sharing a bit of a holiday with dd (and she deserves a bit of fun with one of her parents at least) but needs must and all that ..maybe will be poss to have one or two days off later in week. Hastily trying to sort out activities/baby-sitters etc ....fairly successful considering late notice but feel for her.

Toffee Lakeland link that didn't work (miles and miles down thread) was to shiny sink product. Haven't used it - just thought it was appropriate for this thread! Have thought of another thing I love though which is this believe it or not. Unlikely though it seems, it is wonderful for roasting a chicken with great ease. (My parents used to have one a couple of centuries ago!!) Bung a few chopped up onions, peeled carrots and sticks of celery in bottom, put chicken on top and cook for 1hr and 20 mins or so(take lid off for last 15 mins ) along with some baking spuds and eureka - full roast dinner is ready. Veg take on wonderful sweet flavour + gravy already made (you can even include spuds in dish itself too). Only downside, it doesn't go in dishwasher but small price to pay as rest so easy and only use one pan...

Ohh yes and don't know if your ds is in to crafts but bubble wrap fish mobile is good project. Using a home made template, cut two identical fish shapes with fins out of bubble wrap (approx 20 cm in length) and stick together along both sides (bubbles facing out) with neat lengths of sellotape leaving 4 cm gap near dorsal fin so you have a sort of pocket. Then stuff using different coloured tissue paper or wrapping paper (sort of in stripes) so head first, then followed by thinner stripes of paper, then solid colour again for tail. Tape up gap neatly with sellotape. Add eye and hang from strong cotton to make mobile.

Or more simply, just cover bubble wrap fish shapes with paint and print - the bubbles come out like fish scales

Hope you feel better soon Celestial. You too Balinderry

Linzer I hid postage cost from dh on last Lakeland invoice!!

Welcome (back) Neenook and to MrsSharp

Waves to fellow Belgo-burger Longtime!

Thank you for round up and steps Whoknows

Mahoosive waves to everyone else!!!

x posts MakingChanges - hope your dd feels better soon and meant to say "good to see you having a night off Cobwebs and take it easy CHB

Waves to Colourarc Snot and everyone I've inevitably missed

Had a good day today. It was lovely seeing our friends. The lunch I cooked was a success (onion bhajis, followed by vegetarian chickpea curry with rice and nan bread, then Indian sweets). However, although the do-it-yourself pizza was popular with the older children, neither of the youngest two would eat it (thought of you, Linzer, with your tales of fussy young guests). They seemed to manage chocolate and ice cream though .

Spent about three hours this evening tidying up. I cleared the kitchen, finished washing up (DH had loaded first batch into D/W), dealt with laundry and did about an hour of ironing, which always makes me feel more organised. Have shined my sink, polished the boys' shoes and laid everyone's clothes out. I just need to get myself to bed before midnight.

Linzer - hope the Playmobil and paperwork is sorted now.

Simone - glad you find this thread so friendly and supportive. I do find feeling I need to 'report back' is a good incentive to do stuff in the house.

CHB - sorry you have another headache

Colourarc - thanks for the topic tip

MissJ - lovely to hear you and DD played a lot. Much, much more important than Flying! Have fun with your new e-cloth.

Celestial - sorry you are unwell. Nice DH doing your decluttering for you.

Ihatecobwebs - good for you to have an evening off. Well deserved.

Whoknows - thanks for the info on the Wii. The addictive quality was what worried me - we have enough trouble with the computer. Thanks for the Lakeland tip for my ever-growing list.

Nicknacks - well done on decluttering and keep on top of everything.

Pushme - oh my, tomorrow is your last day of being a mum of one! In case you don't get a chance to pop in here again before the big day, I just want to wish you all the best .

Makingchanges - sorry to hear DD is still ill. Hope you have a good day at uni tomorrow.

Still - thanks for your Lakeland tips (shiny sink product and roaster). Thanks too for your clever fish project. That could be a relaxing thing for me and DS to do together one day. So sorry to hear your holiday might have to be curtailed .

Just going to put new 'get ready for school' reward charts up on the wall, then I'm off to bed. See you all tomorrow.

thank you for the round up MrsD.

Bastard headache was kept at bay with a good stomp in the hills. Didnt get car cleaned out but enjoy a long day out with ds. which was very nice. have done some decluttering, but not made the early night due to catching up with some friends.

Hope you all have good weeks. hope to have some time this week to catch up with every body.

Hello everyone

Sorry AWOL again. I must try posting links from my laptop but honestly as i seem so short of time at mo often resort to my phone.

Had lovely weekend. Saturday decided rather than doing loads of crisis cleaning to stop feel sorry for myself and take dc out to zoo. When dh got home from work we all went to the cinema. Yogi bear was not as good as I thought it might be but dc dud well sitting through it.
Sunday visited in laws and play park in morning. Cleaning all afternoon resulted in
Sparkling clean/tidy bathroom (floor too)
Cleaned dc bedrooms/ floors too and tidied
Cleaned snug floor too/ toys put away
Hovered stairs
Wm lots
Dw twice
Kitchen floor swept
Potty training mishaps dealt with
Bill paid
Dh decluttered some old drawers
I cleaned my bedside cabinet at last!

Tomorrow or should I say today, am determined to
Keep it up. Hotspotting and mission including weekly
Home blessing as dh is not having his day off as supposed to.
Gymnastics with dc
Baking with dc.

Really hope to be back tomorrow to read all your progress/chat.

Have lovely Monday.

pmpy Ooo I'm excited!!! Hope you have lovely day tomorrow and ((((hugs))))) for Tuesday. Will all go fab I'm sure. Take care of you.

Another one returning with tail between her legs.

Loads to catch up on here. Thanks for the round ups Woknows and thinking of you PMPY.

Heavy few weeks start at work today with my huge deadline looming. I do have a tendency to go into a blind panic and get very obsessive over this 3 times a year. When I start, like today, I feel as if I will never get it done, it will be crap, why do I do it, can I give in my notice? etc. etc...... Then in a few weeks time when it is all done and I am pleased with it, I will feel like I am worth a million dollars!!! Just need to hold on to that fact for a while....

Anyway, flying wise...

Done so far:
Washing machine unloaded and loaded
Clothes sorted, folded and in piles
Showered
S&S

TO do list:
dishwasher unload/load
sandwiches
breakfast
work
hoover - not so stressful now
Weekly shopping at Waitrose this evening
Take DS to football training

Have a good day everyone .

Managed to oversleep by half an hour yet again this morning - I can't work out whether my alarm clock isn't going off or whether I'm just switching it off and going back to sleep. Also have a sore throat and am trying to stave off a cold with echinacea, so I'm not feeling full of energy today.

Nettie I wasn't that excited by Yogi Bear either, but must admit I didn't have high expectations in the first place! (Although I did enjoy the cartoon when I was little.)

CHB Glad you managed to keep the headache at bay yesterday.

Toffee Your meal sounded lovely. We had Indian at the weekend too - three days running in fact, as we ate out at an Indian restaurant on Friday.

SC Sorry to hear about your holiday plans; I hope you do manage to have a day or two off later on in the week.

Makingchanges Hope your DD is better soon.

PMPY Enjoy your last day as a mum of one.

NickNacks Good luck with this week's list!

WhoKnows I didn't realise that chopping boards can't go in the dishwasher - I used to have a wooden board that I would wash up by hand, but put all our others in the dishwasher. Must admit I do like the look of the Lakeland ones, anyway!

Must make a start on my list now:

Morning routine
Change sheets (thought I would get ahead of myself by doing this yesterday, but hadn't counted on DS wetting the bed - so I have to do all his sheets, plus the actual duvet, again)
Recycle paper (after fairly successful decluttering of DH's paperwork at the weekend )
DDs to piano lesson
Afternoon routine
Pick up DD1's friend (but will not be inviting her to stay for dinner as I have given up. I don't feel too guilty though, as DD1 wasn't invited to stay for a meal last time she was there.)
RSVP to party invitation
Pay friend for flowers
DDs: letters
Send school photos to GPs
Phone my parents to check whether phone is now working (my dad phoned yesterday for help with a crossword clue, I'd solved it a few minutes later and repeatedly tried to phone them but no reply - I think their phone must be out of order, but I have no other way of getting in touch with them as their Internet connection hasn't been working for weeks and I only have my brother's old mobile number)
Buy stamps online
Evening routine

Additions to list:

Mission (although the missions are still on last week's atm)
15 minutes decluttering in kitchen

Good morning (bounces around full of virtual energy) dud someone mention berroca fit energy think I'll try that.

linzer sounds like a hectic day for you. Hope you manage to get in touch with your folks soon.
pa good luck with your week. Definately worth a million dollars!

This mornings list

Dw/Wm
Clean breakfast stuff
Tidy downstairs
Get dc dressed (ironing as I go at the mo)
take dc either to gymnastics or as it's lovely and sunny I was thinking about a bike ride or scooter along the prom.
Check smoke alarms
Mission-determined to do missions this week asthey made me feel tons better.
Home blessing hour

Right better get moving (realise I've just replayed my list from middle of night!) oh well at least I'm consistent in what needs doing

Don't know if it is just me, but the mission link doesn't seem to have updated today. I am going to clean all my worktops in the kitchen, as that is usually first mission on kitchen weeks.

Linzer - my cheap chopping boards from Ikea all split from repeat dishwashering, and they warped and wouldn't lie flat, probably depends on quality of board in the first place. The Lakeland ones are also very slim and take very little space, I have 4 and they get used all the time.

Nettie - thanks for smoke alarm reminder

PA - good luck with work.