Part 2 - If you're house is cluttered and you're Mad as a Hare, join March Fledgling Flyers and get it all square

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes]

This is the second March Fledgling Flyers thread, all newcomers are welcome.

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.

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.

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!

List
massive home bless

Everyone was very sleepy here this morning too, despite the DC being tired out after soft play yesterday and going to bed/sleep at the usual (new) time. DH is flying to Istanbul today, as is the Austrian football team for their qualifying match against Turkey tomorrow, so he's quite worried about being on a plane full of football fans.

I'm plodding on with my morning routine and failing to feel very enthusiastic about it, although at least the ironing was made a little more bearable by the fact that I've finally managed to get BBC iPlayer up and running. Unfortunately the lovely spring weather that we had here last week has disappeared, and it's back to cold and rainy here today.

PA Hope the helped and good luck with your busy week.

scatty Hope you get some help from the GP for your headaches (I've never found the ones I've seen particularly helpful, so I hope you have better luck).

SC Oh dear, that sounds like a stressful start to the day. (To answer one of your previous posts, DH did not - thank goodness - end up buying the Playmobil that the DDs want as it would have cost ?140. Presents at Easter seem to be more common here than in the UK, but according to DH it's got more extreme in recent years.)

Nettie Don't be nervous; I'm sure you'll be fab. Hope you enjoyed your lie in.

WhoKnows Good luck with your ISA hunt.

swan I don't like spoiling nice relaxing Sunday evenings with thoughts of Monday morning, but have to force myself in order to avoid them being more stressful than they already are.

Ooh, my Lakeland parcel has just arrived - I wasn't expecting it until mid-week at the earliest - and it's huge! Must go and investigate the contents.

I'm now even more amazed at how quickly it got here, considering that the last line of the address was Australia. I sometimes think that people switch off after they've heard the first syllable.

Quick morning post before I start in earnest.

Morning routine done
DS to playgroup done
Food and recycling bins in done
DH out of door done
S/s done
Make beds done
Washing up done
RR bedroom, bathroom, DS room done
Find and note missions done
RR living room, kitchen
WHBH
Clean washing away
Washing in machine
Zone cleaning
Zone missions
Green bin in
Find compost for DM
Apology note for meeting I can't go to
Collect DS
Take DS to DM
Odd jobs for DM - putting up minigreenhouse and ?
Playgroup Committee meeting prep
Sand one of yesterday's painted hearts which needs repainting
Repaint heart
Baker Ross order
Cook tea
Go go Hall to dump old playgroup accounts and check craft box for suppies
Cut fabric
Garden
Tea
Playgroup Committee meeting (another bunfight!)
Evening routine

Having listed that lot out, had best get on

Coffee break without coffee!

[Wierd this Lent - not missing wine at all but caffeine is very hard to give up and I've had a few lapses]

Swan Whoknows Linzer sympathies in return over your stressful Monday mornings!!

Hopefully mitigated somewhat by Lakeland parcel arrival Linzer. at price of Playmobil. I don't know how people do it. Thought I was being ultra-extravagant buying dd the stable but we recently visited friends who had jungle house, garage, fire station, police station and so on ...

Hope your cat finds its way home Swan

I am paranoid about accidentally recycling important papers Whoknows
after (luckily) finding our marriage certificate in the 'out' pile ...

Back to the filing pile..

xposts - Waves to Ihate

Morning all. Another one who struggled this morning. Forgot to set my alarm. Normally this wouldn't be too much of a problem as my body clock always awakes around 6 but unfortunately 6 today meant 7.15. Thankfully I had been organised last night and managed to get DC's and I, up dressed and breakfasted in 45 mins.

Busy day here today.

List looks like this:-
Work
Afterschool session with Year 11
Pick DS up from football
Pick DD up from CM
Home to drop DC's off
DS parent's evening
DS to Beavers
Tutoring of friends son
evening routine
eat
Breather

Back later!

So far done
soda crystals in drain
sorted out alleyway on the way to shed (shed too frightening to deal with)
assembled seed trays, and clear plastic lids from reycling pile
tenderly watered white camellia which is about to flower and doused with old tealeaves
dw
washed dishcloths
started butternut squash soup
sorted out recycling area
put ginormous laundry basket in ds1 room - I think his need is greater than the old cans

garden is overwhelming me - lawn a bumpy pockmarked disaster as usual, various dank beds which nothing will grow in and need to be rejigged, lay paving etc
digging up old stumps, enormous pots what need moving, repotting etc, need to move climbing frame, mend roof of second shed

so it's not so much money as just labour that is required

so abandoning garden and returning to homebless again

Linzer Tell us what you've purchased!
and we never received anything for Easter except bunnies, choc, and possibly craft kits...Oh and I think my mum once bought us an encylopaedia and a children's Bible As my kids' birthdays are right next to Easter, I don't think they need any presents at all.

Where has the morning gone?

Just looked at the clock and realised that if I don't get something to eat now, it'll be hours before I have another chance, so now eating toast, apple and yoghurt. I'm rearranging the afternoon, as I need to go into town to get some acrylic varnish, as my old one is "off" - very annoying.

Done
Morning routine
DS to playgroup
Food and recycling bins in
DH out of door
S/s
Make beds
Washing up
RR bedroom, bathroom, DS room. living room, kitchen
Find and note missions
WHBH
Clean washing away
Washing in machine
Zone mission
Apology note for the meeting I can't go to
Find compost for DM
Pack DS bag
Sort playgroup accounts for dumping at hall
Find acrylic varnish - need to buy new
Meat out of freezer

To do still
Use car to collect DS
Take DS to DM
Odd jobs for DM - putting up minigreenhouse and ?
Town for acylic varnish
Go to Hall to dump old playgroup accounts and check craft box for supplies
Drop in apology note
Playgroup Committee meeting prep
Sand one of yesterday's painted hearts which needs repainting
Repaint heart
Baker Ross order
Zone cleaning
Green bin in
Cook tea
Cut fabric
Garden
Tea
Playgroup Committee meeting (another bunfight!)
Evening routine

Another one whose Easter presents were: an Easter egg from my parents (and not one of the massive fancy ones) and a book, and a modest egg from one of my GPs

swan I don't think the DC need presents for Easter either (although the next birthday isn't until July) but too late now; they've come to expect them. (My ILs giving them a bike, scooter etc. at Easter seemed quite innocent at the time, but it was a slippery slope).

I've always assumed that Easter presents (other than a chocolate egg or two) were an Austrian, or at least a continental, thing. I remember one of my school friends getting two or three choc. eggs for Easter and my parents regarding her as spoilt!

Most of the room in the Lakeland box was taken up by two lap trays and a compost crock to replace the horrible blue plastic one we had in the kitchen. Otherwise, I bought quite a few little bits and pieces; the ones I'm most pleased with are the easy reach caddy (good if, like me, you're not particularly tall - and I do like having organised cupboards), a cheese box for the fridge (the fridge already looks a lot tidier) and the mini make-up caddy. I'm also looking forward to trying out the sink cleaner which SC linked to orginally and will report back!

DDs now at piano lesson so must step away from the computer and make the most of my free hour.

done
not achieved much as usual...
however, I solid hour of piano including scales
washed out kitchen bin
washed out compost caddy (Linzer!)
watered some big pots
rescued hall thoroughly
rescued shoe hamper
rescued living room
dumped a large pile of laundry on landing
stripped two beds
organised supper (chicken pilaff)

now I have 30 mins to tidy bedrooms
bbl when done

oh and swept terrace

Glad its not just us who are having trouble with clock thing!

DC seem in remarkably high spirits though (not me).

Done: 3/4 house bleugh and laundry.

Decided not to see GP re headaches as have no time that I can go this week. Have looked up sensible advice on internet and will do headache diary, cut back on alc and caffine and hope for the best.

Am starting to panic as have realised its dds birthday on wed, party on sat and mil visiting on sun (have added extra vim an vigour and cillit bang to house bless in the hope that it will last the week ).

linzer I daren't click on your links as I will be tempted.
swan my garden overwhelms me too (and it is only small) I run to the washing line without looking at the borders.

Lovely to have a day without paid work today. Spent all morning catching up with a friend whilst DS worked on the computer, so my 'weekly clean' has been postponed till tomorrow .

I did manage:

To dress
Do b/fasts
Pack lunchbox and water
Do school run (on time!)
Set DS1 up with tasks for home ed
S & S
Empty d/w
Reload d/w
Text friend re meeting at end of week
Lunch
School run
Make cookies with DS2 (managed to rescue them after I misread 6g as 6oz)
Dinner for DS1, DS2 and friend of DS1

PA Enjoy yr time with DD1 and your ladies' retreat day . Am very amused by cheeky cat!

Scatty Sorry about the headaches. Hope dr sorts it out.

Still - I nearly made us all late by getting in a muddle over times this morning too. I forgot to change the time on my mobile, but set the alarm as usual. Luckily, I woke up anyway, otherwise I would have been woken up by my alarm at 8.15 .

Nettie Thanks for volunteering to run the April thread. You'll be fine at the links, don't worry.

Where Any luck with an ISA?

Swan Sorry about your lost cat

Linzer - ooh, Lakeland order! Enjoy it!

Ihatecobwebs I am taking a vicarious pleasure in your Baker Ross order.

Ellie Well done on getting ready in 45mins! That's impressive!

Now, all you Flyladies....Any ideas what I do about a smelly washing machine? It's making my clothes smell.

Oh my life. I am absolutely shattered. Finally stopped running about at 8.15 and have just finished dinner. Successful day with everything on list achieved but at the cost of my already dubious sanity .

DS had a very pleasing parent's evening. He is never going to be an academic but his teachers were effusive about his hard work and used lots of lovely words to describe him and his literacy teacher said he was the kind of boy she went into teaching to teach. I am so very proud of him . Doubt dd's will be the same .

Am going to have a bath. Have a good evening.

Hot washing with soda crystals. Although if it is very bad a normal wash (empty load) cycle with a good slug of white vinegar will help followed by the hot wash cycle + soda crystals. Then put on to rinse afterwards and it shoudl be good to go.

Thanks, Lost. I have tried the soda crystals and hot wash. I'll give the white wine vinegar a try tomorrow.

Ellie - Proud mum ! Well done to your DS! And well done to you for getting everything done on your list, in spite of feeling exhausted.

Evening all,

Well, turned out nice here today, can hardly believe it?s only March, I gather it?s all going to go pear shaped on Wednesday. Lots of tidying today, finally managed my filing and ironing, opened my ISA, did school gardening club, took DCs to basketball and Beavers, phew.

Nettie has kindly volunteered to take over the thread next month and is practising links.

PA got cuddled by a trange cat and is expecting a busy week, although it includes shopping and a visit from DD1 so not all hard work

Scatty is going to make some dietary changes to try and help her headaches

SC overslept and will be travelling again this week

Swan, Ellie and Whoknows had disorganized mornings. Swan, sorry to hear your cat is lost.

Linzer?s big Lakeland parcel has arrived!

Cobwebs - another mammoth list!

Swan ? my garden isn?t getting much of a look in at th moment, too busy with the school one .

Toffee has been having a well deserved no-paid-work day

Ellie has had lovely comments about DS at parents evening

Lost shared her wisdom on cleaning washing machines. Soda crystals are such a useful thing to have around the house. I do a 90 degree wash with half a bottle of cheap vinegar every couple of months in mine. I also leave the door open the whole time it?s not boing used, appreciate this might not be practical for everyone.

Tuesday

Babystep Pamper mission

Mission

Apologies for quick hi-jack

Do any of the computer literate among you know the answer to this one by any chance please?

I want to go home ....[bangs head on desk]

Done SC.

thank you Lost!!! Much appreciated! (Pls see other thread).

Well, everything went wrong today that possibly could have gone wrong. However, fushed with success, I am finally heading home...

Wierd that everyone has suffered delayed effects from hour change ...

Nettie you are in luck! - Mnset now has facility whereby if you click on "converts links automatically" just below posting area, it will presumably "pretty up" the links for you

Ellie bravo to your ds

Toffee I second 90°C vinegar method

Scatty lol at house bleurgh! Good luck with special diet

Waves to Swan Linzer Ihate and everyone else

[SC removes matchsticks from eye sockets and heads for bed ...]

Morning all! Hopefully a slightly less frantic day today! Full teaching day and a meeting after worm but no beavers, tutoring or anywhere else to be. The primary goal therefore is to try and be organised for the weekend. We are going up to the mothers caravan for the weekend so i want to be all packed and ready to go Thursday night.

We shall see........