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!

oh dear, now posted same message three times, and something's wrong with internet TESTING

well that's alright

Nettie I think you need to start on
PUDDING AND PIE (Oxford University Press paperback, by Ian Beck (illus) and Sarah Williams - nursery rhymes - lovely large clear pictures

and my favourite favourite HUTCHINSON TREASURY OF CHILDREN'S POETRY ( I promise you will not need another compilation, ever) edited by Alison Sage and intro Michael Rosen. Brilliant toddler/young child section at beginning, then other age groups covered. It may be on Amazon secondhand. Fantastic illustrations. (also enjoy The Car Trip by M.Rosen which is older section of this book)

Ds read Dirty Beasts and Revolting Rhymes, but I think he was 5 or 6.
"The Jumblies" is illustrated by Ian Beck, not someone else!

Now my List today is

as my brain has warmed up

30 mins of piano interspersed with 30 mins of cleaning for the rest of the day

my computer seems to have downloaded a false something or other which keeps "neighing" at me and pretending the computer is infected - I think it is just a windup to get me to download more of their files, but it is very irritating. Go away Neighing Virus, please.

House is looking pretty ok today so i am going to do basic's plus todays mission - helps that as i'm doing it hopefully hundreds of others are going to be doing it the same time which makes it less tedious

oh and Amber I'm on a diet - have been since New Year - but it's a controlled carb one (Carbohydrate Addict's Diet) where I get to eat chocolate once a day - weight loss is very slow but it is nice and easy to live with!

sorry wrong thread house is still tidy!

done
unloaded dw
decluttered loads of paper, and kitchen drawer again
sorted children's paper into three named piles on dh advice rather than just having odd pending piles
written a date on calendar
put some stuff in filing pile
written some more numbers in Control Diary whilst I have pieces of paper at hand
coats and shoes put away
laundry on
more laundry brought down

Deep breath
kitchen now looking worse than ever

will try to prepare supper lamb stew
and hoover playroom

despite having an amazing recall of every children's book I've sold, read, or recommended in last twenty years, I can't find ds1 birth certificate, or any of the stuff I must have put in a special file for High School applications in Oct

Can I face sorting through all the paperwork cupboard this minute[aargh] no...
just noticed I was meant to send back proof of birth with High School place confirmation..which I sent back last week...
may just photocopy his passport, which I DO have in a safe place, but it just is a sign that things are out of control paper wise again

Toffee thank you, the concert went well though finished a bit late for my younger children. Slightly regreting bringing DD. She had to be carried downstairs for breakfast this morning looking very sleepy, though she did perk up once she'd eaten something.

Feeling very chuffed with myself as I actually laid out my clothes last night (which I hardly ever do )

I met friends for coffee and catch up this morning so am rather behind with the morning tasks. I'll post my list and get a move on.

Done

dishwasher unloaded and restacked
shined sink
swish and swipe (downstairs)
2 loads of washing
coffee with friends
homework with DS2 - didn't get time to finish it last night due to DS1 concert.

To do

hot spot x 2
another load of washing
hang out wet washing
put dry washing away
swish and swipe upstairs
make tea for DCs and babysitter
pack music bag etc for DS2
buy bread (check if we need anything else)
15 mins declutter/mission
card for bereaved friend
empty kitchen composter
send various emails

might get done

passport form
clean hob
buy paper for printer
mark DS2 English work
get more keys cut
buy stationery

swan I am completely with you on the paper front. Losing my passport was my hidden shame - I am surrounded by work colleagues who jet off to overseas conferences on a regular basis, here was me not even being able to get out of the country, and just because my paperwork was in such a state .

Paperwork has to be my next big Fly goal I think, now that the surface clutter is (astonishingly, miraculously, marvellously and for the first time in 38 years of existence) apparently under control. I was pretty good at paperwork before having kids, but somehow filing things away takes pretty low priority now.

Nettie I wish I had something intimate to tell, chocolate is as exciting as my life gets!!

swan I haven't seen my original birth certificate for years, although I'm sure it's in a safe place somewhere. Luckily I have the full-length birth certificate that I had to apply for when I registered DD1's birth at the British consulate.

DH's paperwork is still driving me round the bend. I'm halfway through photocopying 15 documents that prove he was registered at university every semester; he also has about 50 certificates from various courses that he took there. I'm sure I just have my degree certificates and that's it - I've kept a copy of my master thesis but no souvenirs otherwise.

I have both DDs at home this afternoon after all; the friend who DD was supposed to be going to play with was picked up by another girl and her parents. I'd only phoned her father about 5 minutes before to tell him I'd pick up both girls from school as it was pouring with rain, and checked it was still OK for DD1 to come over. However, the other girl's parents said that the mother had phoned them to ask whether they could pick her DD up and that their DD could then go and play. Phoned the father, who said DD could go and play next week instead. All a bit of a mix-up and DD1 has just said she didn't want to go anyway, but I'm fuming about it all. The thing that annoys me most was that no one apologised or thought that DD1 might have been upset about it. I'm also still a bit annoyed with the other girl's mother for not bothering to phone and tell me her DD wouldn't be able to come over on Monday as we'd arranged. So my good mood of this morning has evaporated.

Anyway, onwards and upwards and back to my list:

Morning routine still only part done
15 min decluttering
Mission done
Clean fridge
Buy birthday present for DD2's friend delegated to DH (as his office is above a bookshop)
Afternoon routine about to start
DD2: letters
Send photos to GPs
Book hotel near Playmobil FunPark (on-site hotel fully booked until August) have found hotel with room available
Buy stamps online
Plan next week's English lessons
Evening routine

To cap it all, someone must have heard me complaining about only having five pages to do the other day as I've just been sent 71 pages to proofread.

And I've just had an e-mail from the company selling the wines for the MN tasting to tell me that they don't deliver to Australia.

linzer email them back and say thanks very much for that information you will bear it in mind if you ever decide to move to Australia. What about Austria dohballs??

Systems Dh is good on passports, he keeps them in a special place - that's the only reason they are SAFE! He takes them away from me after every trip. However I do have to look after my own

done
stew for supper
further tidying/paperwork fiddlyitis
and a bit of rabbit in headlights wringing of hands and paralysis
my emails alone are enough to send me into rigor mortis

MUST DO THE WRETCHED PIANO PRACTISE (not feeling that well either so maybe I'll have some lemsip)

Linzer I am so impressed by all the lovely playdates/swops you organise for your children - I find I get overwhelmed by too many visits arrangements, possibly why I've ended up subsituting so many activities , I think something's bound to go pearshaped occasionally, but at least you know they have lots of friends to play with, which is main thing.

goodness I'm dense, only just worked out the Australia Austria mixup quite funny though really, that has made me smile...

Another thing to add to my TO BUY list
photocopier

also greenhouse
hoover bags
stamps
butter dish with functioning lid (cat likes licking
rug for front room to stop dust rising up between floorboards
bathroom stool
bathroom shelf
record player
e-cloths

I am very tempted, Nettie. It's amazing the number of people who hear/read Austria and automatically assume Australia (esp. Americans, it must be said - when we were living there, you wouldn't believe the number of people who thought DH was Australian, despite his accent). You can even get T-shirts here with the slogan "No kangaroos in Austria".

Oh well, as long as Lakeland still deliver to Austria I can't complain too much.

swan I also feel overwhelmed by all our arrangements sometimes, but as long as the children play well together (not always the case with DS unfortunately, who can get quite possessive about his toys) I often find it easier when they have friends here. There's also the added advantage that all three are very occasionally all out at the same time.

Bugger. i am supposed to be spending today crisis cleaning and house taming. I am incapable of functioning. Havent even managed to put a load of washing on. :( i lack m0tivation and have no idea where to even start. i want my bed. Plus the wind has just picked up so will have to move my car in a mo.

Perhaps a restorative shower might help. Overslept this morning and really didnt want to leave my bed. Ds was late for school.

Yay Pushme what wonderful news!! Many, many congratulations on the birth of your gorgeous baby boy!! So happy for you and all the family. Hope you are recovering OK xxx

Hi all, back after short break in fresh air. Dh managed to be with us for one lot of 3 hours and one lot of 2 hrs but better than nothing. He left at 5.30 am to support pils (third visit in as many weeks) and I'm just wrapping up in the offce and about to go home and relieve the baby-sitter and encounter the horror of gloom dust and clutter that awaits me do a bit of crisis clean if I have the energy

Flagging a bit so very selfishly going to post and go without any personal messages but will be back to catch up thread tomorrow!!

Hope everyone OK!

Hands Gonenotforgotten

Sympathies re the motivation. Feel the same way. Shall we just do one thing for 15 mins??? You never know, it migh finish us off lead to something ...

I've done 15 mins of concentrated piano practice
back again now to the grindstone - it is so difficult, but I know I'm getting somewhere

GHF I'm imagining your car teeteering on edge of a cliff

SC hope once you get home it feels better than being in the office, even if it is dusty..I only have to get locked out of my house to think it is a haven of havens.

No but occasionally we get a tile fall off the roof and last time it put a bit dent in the car. Just safer to move it back up the drive so it is less likely to hit it.

SC sounds like a plan - i have just had a long hot shower. i feel a bit more human but have discovered that i muscles and they hurt. Perhaps this and lack of sleep is the cause.

*have muscles.