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!

Evening all,

Am up far too late again (yawn) and I have just remembered that my bedding is in the tumble drier in the shed at the far end of the garden so need to go and do that before I can collapse.

DCs enjoyed Red Nose Day, dressing up for school. They are too young to fully understand what it is about but we have explained a bit. Although it?s a good cause I hate these celebathons with a vengeance and have resolutely not watched a single minute of any of it (no, tell a lie, we turned over at one point some blokes were singing, I said ?Who?s that?? DH said ?Take That? so we promptly turned it off again) [fuddy duddy emoticon].

Feeling like a bad mum tonight, gave the DCs a chocolate biscuit after school , then remembered we were going to the dentist, so went to clean their teeth. I had a peer in to make sure all traces of biscuit were gone and was horrified how much chocolate was on DD?s teeth still, and how hard I had to brush to get it all off, we clearly haven?t been doing it well enough. Sure enough, she needs a filling, I could have cried when the dentist showed me the little hole. I know a filling isn?t the end of the world but I really don?t feel good about it.

So, we started our new thread with some lovely poetry, thank you Lost, Nettie and Toffee.

Hello PA hope you survived your busy work day. Mine is really picking up now I have been there for a couple of months, my head is always spinning after a few hours at work at the moment.

Linzer has been bemoaning the lack of spring-like weather, it has disappeared here again too at the moment.

Nettie, oh dear, poo and wee everywhere, reminds me of the time DD (aged about 18m) took her nappy off and promptly filled her brand new pink shoes with diarrhea. Uurgh. Hope you are feeling better tonight.

Darts ? sympathies re Red Nose Day antics and DCs. DS insisted he didn?t want to wear his coat because it was blue, we set off without it in a rush, then half way to school he was freezing and we had to come back, I was not best pleased.

Toffee ? glad you managed some of your paid work

LadyinPink ? don?t worry you?ll soon catch up. Bathroom work sounds impressive

Snot ? wow,a skip, that?s serious decluttering. Your bathroom sparkling too, mine never sparkles.

Cobwebs ? that is kind f you to help your friend with her DC?s party, hope she remembers to buy you some for after.

Fun ? coffee with friends is always a good thing IMO

Celestial, thank you for the and

Swan, good luck with the party

Feet ? any luck with the taps yet?

Saturday
Babystep Read a testimonial. Optional.

No missions, but Saturday is supposed to be Family Day, so hope you all have a nice day.

Good morning everyone. Thank you to everyone wishing me better. Almost there I think although having another sneezing fit ? Anyway got to get going today dh working all day and dc have a birthday party this morning.

I have a new neffiepoo by the name 6lbs4 so not too small at all.

So far dc fed
Dw emptied
Td/wm on
Chilling on sofa at the mo.

Still to tidy up
Sweep kitchen floor
Clean kitchen table
Look at mission
Take dc to softplay party (must take some headache tablets )

I think today is a day for use of my timer. That's my mission today and then to sit down in-between.

Silly iPhone won't let me scroll down to the end of my message! So halfway through I will wish you a lovely Saturday

whoknows thanks for round up . How annoying at bedding being out in the cold. Yuk at diahhorea shoes!
swan good luck at swans party
lady I'm not sure about kettle descaling with vinegar. I do
Most everything else with it. Well done on bathroom
*

Interesting name Aidan

Morning all,

lol at your new nephew's name Nettie - it's certainly different.

Thanks for the links WhoKnows. We're having a Family Fun Day today by taking the DC to a model making exhibition this afternoon - there's a Playmobil pirate ship, Roman settlement (perfect for inspiring DD1 to revise, I hope) and wild west something-or-other there as well as a Lego exhibition, so the DC will be in their element.

Very little flying going on here so far, but I have typed out six pages of questions to help DD1 revise for her test on the Romans next week (only about another six still to type). DD2 needs to learn a poem off by heart over the weekend (four verses of four lines each), but she's disappeared upstairs so I think I might try to finish my Lakeland order in the meantime.

Hope everyone's having a good weekend.

nettie my nephew's called Aidan (he's 15) Celtic fringe Saint.
ooh you will find yourself broody, mark my words...

Done
catechism class - no-one knew what matrimony was

House complete tip, too much food not enough fridge (this always happens when we have parties)
Dcs and husband out, so I need to crack on

Linzer Austrian education sounds so much more rigorous. I suppose I quite like the laxity of the English system, but then I suppose I can't complain when my children can't recite a poem or know basic facts about Romans In the seventies, my [private] primary was already phasing out the learning of poetry. Whereas my parents can recite things by heart. It makes such a difference as it never leaves you if you learn it young.

I thought I'd completed my Lakeland order, but when I worked out that post & packing alone would come to 57 pounds, decided it had better be more of a wish list. Am now down to 52 GBP p&P - some serious culling needed, I think.

Also thought I'd better point out that I was lolling (awful word, sorry) at Nettie's nephew being called 6lbs4 and not at Aidan (before I offend anyone!).

swan I don't remember learning a single fact about the Romans at school, so am learning things alongside DD1. The amount they need to revise does seem to be a little over-the-top, though (for 8-9 year olds, at least). I only had to learn a couple of poems off by heart at school and not until I was 13/14 - of about the same length as DD1 is learning by heart at 6. They're very keen on dictations etc. too; from what I've heard from other parents, teaching hasn't changed much in Austria over the last 30-40 years.

WhoKnows - thanks for the round-up. I felt sorry for you having to retrieve your tumble-dried sheets from the shed in the garden. Hope you made it to bed at a decent time.

Swan - sounds like you have a lot on at the moment. It does seem unfair that you are helping your DB and SIL so much, when they did nothing for you. I assume this is their PFB, though? Maybe they just didn't realise how much work babies are when you had yours. Anyway, you are being a wonderful sister and SIL. Good luck with the parties. The miniature gardens sound a great idea. Also, glad you had a good chat with your son's teacher. Could you arrange more playdates for him to help him make friends? (Sorry, I know you have enough to do already!). Re: the tutor. I am on the look out for a Maths tutor for DS too. I can cope with the English, but I am struggling with the Maths and know he'd do so much better with someone who can understand it and - er - teach!

Linzer - the model-making exhibition sounds wonderful. What a great day out for the children. Mine would love a day out like that. Sorry to hear you are having to prune your Lakeland order. I still haven't done mine. I do sometimes find just going through the catalogue and marking down all the things I want is enough for me!

Nettie - congratulations on your new nephew [broody emoticon]. I'm with you on using the timer today.

LadyinPink - well done on the bathroom! I have used white wine vinegar for cleaning taps, but never to de-limescale the kettle. I would think it would be fine, but I'm afraid I'm no expert. Have you asked on the Good Housekeeping thread generally? Someone is bound to know.

We all had an amazingly good night's sleep last night, so everyone is in a lovely mood today. We woke up at 8am and the boys didn't wake up till 8.30! Gorgeous sunny day here, which is very uplifting. I have done my basic routines and am trying my best to ignore the sorry state of my downstairs, which needs a good tidy, declutter and hoover. List today looks like this:

B/fasts done
Time with DS2 done
Tidy DS2's bedroom whilst bath is running done
Get dressed done
S&S done (and noticed floor needs cleaning )
Unload d/w done
Washing on (DS2's sheets - he wet the bed) done
DH tackle the jungle garden doing
Tumbledry sheets
Second load in w/m
Tumbledry 2nd load
Make DS2's bed
Lunch
Work???
Take DS2 to jumble sale at school (find as many DVDs and toys to entertain him as possible, so I can work)
DH out to meet old friend
Attempt to work whilst DC entertain themselves
Dinner
Bed at decent time

There is loads of laundry and ironing to deal with, but I'm not putting it on my list because work has to take priority. I might try doing just 15 minutes if I feel I have time, then that'll be a bonus.

On a different subject entirely, does anyone else use Liz Earle products? I have just started using her Cleanse and Polish thing with the muslin cloth, followed by toner and moisturiser (this is all thanks to DH saying my skin looked 'a bit dull' last week ). Don't know if it's making any difference yet, but it makes me feel good - everything smells so delicious.

Hope you all have a lovely Saturday.

RE descaling kettles, I used to use vinegar, it was fine and didn't damage it but it did stink, and it took a lot of rinses to get rid of. I use citric acid now, buy a box from the local hardware shop.

Thanks to everyone who replied to my de-limescaling plea - I did fill and empty the kettle 3 times after boiling it and have had several cuppa's now with no vinegar taste so fingers crossed it's still ok. Read somewhere that you can put a seashell inside the kettle to catch the limescale (fab idea i thought), i use one of those wireballs but seashells seem a cheap way to do the same job!

Just come back from a party with DD and am going to do some loads of washing and dry them outside as it's a gorgeous day today.

Catch up later and hope you are all enjoying sun where you are

Not making much progress with my list, but I have taken the boys out for a runaround (hoped I'd be able to sit down and bask in the sun, but they wanted me to chase them ). Also took DS2 to the school jumble sale and came home with some plastic toy tat and a bagful of books, which I'm hoping will keep him busy for an hour whilst I work.

DH has gone off to meet his friend, DS1 is watching telly, DS2 is playing with his new toys. I'm itching to have a go at this untidy house, but must try to get some work done instead.

Lady - glad the limescaling worked.

Please can I join in? Not been well for a while and house is a pigsty.

Already done:

Hoovered downstairs.
Hoovered it again when kids ran through with muddy boots on
Hoovered it again when they did the same again
Got DS1 to hoover when he did it again.
2 laundry loads - sheets drying in sunshine, school uniform in tumble dryer.
Baked muffins
Shined sink
Mailed some work reports that should have been mailed last week yesterday.
5 min room rescue on kitchen
1/2 a house blessing - (did bins and general tidying and stripped beds)
Bike maintenance with kids - pumped up tyres and oiled gears etc
Swept patio

To do:
Pay some cheques out
Fold laundry
Cook dinner
Evening routine
Empty dishwasher and reload
Change bed linen
Hoover again as there is mud all over the floor. Again. (How do they manage this when they take their shoes off at the kitchen door? Even the cat can walk up a flight of stairs, carefully gripping the mud in his paws to release it all over a white duvet cover.)

Seems like more than I did all week last week when I felt ill!
Time for

Welcome to the thread, Menagerie. You are starting with a very impressive list. Flylady only recommends hoovering once a week, I think, so you are well ahead with the hoovering . If it's any consolation, my house is a pigsty too. I have work deadlines to meet (work at home), plus two children, and the housework has to come bottom of my list of priorities at the moment. I'm trying to ignore it, but it's really getting me down.

Off to cook dinner now and maybe just do 15 mins of crisis cleaning.

evening. i have spent the whole afternoon cleaning my car out. 3 carrier bags of rubbish, 3 carriers of recycling, hoovering, upolstry cleaning, and plastic cleaning later and my back is very sore. However, i have check tyres, fluids and lights in the same go. tomorrow i am going to have to do the outside and the windows inside.

I have fixed ds' bike, removed bell from old scooter which will go to charity shop monday and put onto his bike, played endless games of monopoly deal again. He is happy and about to go to bed. I am tired and feel like i have spent all day telling him off yelling

I have to admit to bribing him to go back to sleep with chocolate at 5am this morning Must try to get an early night tonight as i failed dreadfully last night and have been suffering for it all day.

Sorry no personals again. trying very hard to stay off the computer. Not sure i am suceeding, in fact i think i am spending more time lurking then i would normally do being here

Hey ladies We had a lovely family fun day today, picnic and a play in a lovely local park with ducks, deer, rabbits, chickens, peacocks etc we are so lucky I know, it was a glorious 23C. Not much else achieved today

Evening all,

An early roundup so I can put the computer off and relax with DH (who will probably disagree with what I want to watch on telly and come though to this room and use the computer).

A beautiful day here, we (DCs and I, DH was at work) went to a family outdoor play thing that the council had put on, den-building in the woods, thoroughly enjoyable.

Lost - well done on the car front

Toffee - sending a little hug in your direction, you are coping with a lot at the moment

Menagerie - welcome to the thread, sounds as though you are very keen!

LadyinPink - have never heard of the seashell idea, but sounds as though it could work

Linzer - hope you all enjoyed the model making

Nettie - congrats on the new nephew, Aidan is a lovely name

Swan - how old are the participants in your catechism class?

Waves at everyone else. Links in a bit when I have put the DCs to bed.

Actually, here, only a babystep

Babystep Include laundry in your daily routine.

toffee SIL is lovely, so I want to help her (and she wasn't around when ours were babies) - it's just B who is dfficult (and dare I say downright annoying - he ticked me off today for leaving skid marks on his carpet from the pram She is having a terrible time with br**st Ab.. which is now crisis. She is in hosp so I have helped today so he could visit hosp without baby in tow. Met another friend in park near them

Party plans not good though, I've cooked loads, bought cinema tickets, and think I know what's happening, but today has left me out of kilter. And dh is fed up again about being left to get ready for party on his own this afternoon.

WhoKnows great outdoors
catechumens were only 7/8 so I suppose it was a difficult word!

lost don't mention the car

everyone else, waves and must dash back to washing up

Morning. Nature has intervened on todays plan. So i am decluttering via the sewing machine. first job the mending pile, second job half made stuff, 3rd job projects yet to be started. i feel this will probably be most of my list of stuff to do this week. It would be good to clear a load of stuff out.

Thanks for a friendly welcome Toffee and Lost. I tend to crash and burn with housework. Lots and lots of decluttering to do, really, before beginning to fly.

Done:
Shined sink until it sparkled. Stayed shiny as new for 37 seconds then DP poured yesterday's cold coffee down it and finished it off with a pile of breadcrumbs.
Fed most things that howl at me - guinea pigs, kids, cat, DP.
Freecycled a dustgatherer sandwich toaster.

Er that's it. Unless taking kids for a lovely cycle ride counts as um catching up on yesterday's family day.

To do: put away laundry.
Clean bathroom
Cook tea
Sort out work diary for next week

Flylady only hoovers once a week? Hmm. She doesn't have small muddy boys, does she?

Lost, I'm impressed. The mending pile makes me weep and scurry for a corner. I have about 900 labels to sew onto things before kids go off to camp and am trying really really hard not to think that I'd rather replace lost items than take on that job.

menagerie 900 labels I hate and loath label sewing tbh. My mending is all machine based so much easier. Split seams and patches mostly. I try to do it every couple of months or when it gets more then 3 things.

Mending Machine stuff done
Another seam on voil curtain sunscreen done
piece together 3 squares for table runner done
Pin thermal lining for bedroom curtain finished the one left mid way through just before christmas
Finish new blade guards done

As i understand it the clocks are due to go forwards next weekend. So i am going to try to shift my body clock in preparation. Otherwise 4am star days are going to be very early and a proper shock to the system. Can wait for the lighter evenings though. It makest me smile.

menagerie I am inclined to agree with you. muddy boys are a pita wrt to the nice hoovered look.

Oh i forgot, speaking of muddy boys. Ds and i washed my car in the rain. He got soaked throwing buckets of clean water at it to get rid of the suds. Car will need to be rewashed next week when he is at school so it is actually clean One happy boy though

lost a whole day spent sewing sounds heaven to me, I just never seem to leave myself enough space for it, and hate half doing things - needles getting lost in sofa etc..

Menagerie am in awe of your hoovering ambitions LOL. I am a OCD sweeper though!

Party is OVER, which means it has gone well
Rango was a slightly odd film with Johnny Depp, possibly over the 9 year olds' heads, but most entertaining for me at least. Miniature gardens went well, although it worked out a bit pricey. (Maybe better with only 6 kids at a party) What was a great success and comparatively cheap was painting small terracotta pots with acrylics (which I hope is waterproof). All children boys and girls were totally absorbed. Ds1 and 2 were not interested though though I think birthday boy Ds2 felt good about party in general, despite it NOT being a dedicated football party He played with three of his friends in our mudpatch and I think honour was satisfied!

It was a bit of a mad house though, children running up and down the stairs, slamming doors and chasing each other. I wish there was an adventure playcentre near here [boo hoo]
One of dd's friends smashed up ds2 lego train track in the course of "fun", so dh is thoroughly p*d off with that.

swan so glad the party went well - weather hopefully as good where you were as it was here (South England)

I haven't been home today so the house still looks tidy (if not that clean). Went to pil early morning, then to friends for lunch followed by a visit to my parents for tea. No washing up or cooking - luxury

Makes a change from the 18 guests i had round last Sunday. Have invited lots of my family round again this Sunday as my sister is hosting at hers for Mothers Day which i believe is next Sunday (we see my family every Sunday afternoon normally at my parents).

Lots to do tomorrow so see you all then

I am officially the world's worst flyer this month and have superglued my bum to the naughty corner and kicked lost out because she's done loads today . On a serious note, i am sorry i haven't been around much. Things have been quite tough chez elliepac culminating in a splitting up of dh and i, a few days staying at my mum's and then a reconciliation. Have spent the last few weeks incredibly stressed and cleaning has been the last thing on my mind. However, i think we may have turned a corner so am hoping i may get back on track.

I shall wave in the general direction of you lovely ladies and try again come tomorrow .

Hands ellie a large and hugs her naughty corner mate. Sorry to hear you have had such a rough time recently :( hope it continues to progress in an improving manner.