New Year FLYers - part 2

[bessie26]

carrying on from where we left off!!

[Carrotsandcelery]

I have been cunning! The dcs wanted to make gingerbread men so I pointed out that all the birthday gifts would have to be tidied up from the kitchen table so that they could cut the dough etc! I have never seen a table sorted more quickly They are now happy cutting out all sorts of bizarre gingerbread shapes (most of which dh will take to work - it is quarter end so they all need a little sugar boost!)

[Dosey]

hi everybody, had a very good week, managed my daily routines, 15 minutes in the kitchen decluttering the cupboards everyday and today we have made rice crispie buns for dds to take to school and playgroup tomorrow. Thats if they last until tomorrow .

Tomorrow I plan to do my weekly blessing and crack on with the cleaning list for the kitchen. I always try to get all my jobs done before the weekend. I have lots of mothers day choccies left so I am hoping to tuck into them tomorrow night when dp is at work and dds are in bed. Hopefully with a clear conscience that all my jobs are done for the week!!!

Bessie what does that magic thingy do ?

[bessie26]

oooh, what a sneaky mummy carrots! - gingerbread biscuits sound yummy, we haven't made any of those for ages.

today I managed to

• have a nap
  
• wash the bedclothes in the spare room (yeeeesss!! I have been able to get to the bed!)
  
• wash our bedclothes
  
• do 2 other loads of laundry
  
• clean the bathroom & the downstairs loo
  
• clean the insides of all the upstairs windows
  
• cut back the ivy (our lovely neighbour very politely asked if we could do something about it as it was trying to overtake her garden too )
  
• had a reflexology session
  

I'm at home with DD tomorrow, so will be mainly singing nursery rhymes in the morning & probably napping in the afternoon

[bessie26]

dosey am impressed you have lots of mothers day chocs left - I have very very few left

the magic thingy gets all kinds of marks off everything! so far it's taken the plastic toy marks off the bath, some burnt on oily marks off the stainless steel splashback thing & on the hob. numerous marks off walls including those made by rubbery shoe soles, door handles, and cupboards

and you've made rice krispie cakes! I made banana bread and carrot cupcakes last weekend.... will have to think of something to make this weekend now!

[Carrotsandcelery]

I have seen those magic erasers in the shops but was so cynical I didn't believe they would work - even the dcs still remember MIL ranting and raving about Cillit Bang!! I may have to invest if it will get the rainbow streaks off my bathtub though. Thanks for the tip bessie.

[Dosey]

I started off with such good intentions. I dropped dds off at school and playgroup with two hours to myself I decided to do my home blessing. Which I have done but thought I will just sit down for five minutes and have a choccie. Well half of box of choccies later, and feeling very sick, its time to go and pick dd2 up from playgroup. Well its not all bad I have the saved the ones I dont like for dds and dp!!!!!

[Carrotsandcelery]

Home blessing is major progress though Dosey - mine is only being done in stages this week but I still think it is progress. Celebrate what you have done!
I have done a worktop scrub, a scrub of the loo in the main bathroom and we have cleaned the lounge thoroughly.
My dh wants fairy cakes for those who have to work tomorrow so that should keep us busy later this afternoon. It may be necessary to taste test the produce too just in case

[bessie26]

dosey it sounds to me like you've been doing a very thorough declutter of that chocolate box! (next time, remember to set your timer! )

I'm having a cup-o-tea while tidying the lounge (and trying to find some toys that can be boxed up), then I'll run round downstairs with the vacuum & go sleep put my feet up

[Carrotsandcelery]

I am of everyone who got chocolate for Mother's Day. I agree with bessie though Dosey - it sounds like decluttering at its finest!

[bessie26]

I may have got chocs for mothers day carrots, but DH didn't buy any as part of the normal weekly shop because I got some for Mother's day?!?!

[Carrotsandcelery]

Oh no bessie they need to be extra and yours to choose to share rather than the only ones! I got perfume and 2 CDs and 2 beautiful homemade cards and a meal out so I should not complain. I also had to feed 9 people a fancier than normal breakfast and do the dishes before and after while dh lay in bed but I will try not to dwell on that...

[spongefingerssavedmylife]

Hello all,
I've had another productive week, day 25 of babysteps now and house is looking so much cleaner. Struggling a bit with the 15 mins decluttering a day but loving the morning and evening routines. V at Mother's day things, I had nothing and had to ask DH if DDs were going to say 'Happy Mother's Day' . Should find out on Mon if we are moving house so a major incentive to declutter!
Followed flylady's advice on friday as romance time, DH pleased after initial reservations about lack of spontineity - at least it gets it done!!

[bessie26]

Romance on a Friday? I must have missed that mission, all i did was clear the rubbish from my car!!

btw, I have just started writing next weeks shopping list & chocolate is definitely on there!!

[Carrotsandcelery]

bessie extra chocolate surely??!! You need to compensate for last week? I have lost the plot flylady wise - I didn't do the car yesterday and that is a routine that makes a massive difference to our week.
I have never noticed the romance on Friday either! Dh did comment on how romantic it was listening to me wretch through cleaning my teeth in the bathroom last night though What more could an overworked man want than a wretching wife?

[bessie26]

hehehe carrots you must have sounded divine!

sponge well done on your 25 days! I am still amazed at the difference it has made to my house! I wouldn't worry too much about not doing your 15min decluttering EVERY day (unless of course you ARE moving house & then you need to get a wriggle on! ) I don't do it every day, but then other days I do several 15 min sessions, so I figure it all evens out, and of course ANYTHING is better than nothing!

nothing for Mother's Day sounds pretty pants I guess the DDs won't be doing anything for Father's Day either?

As well as my chocs I got a mug which nursery arranged for DD to decorate, it's got a couple of smudgy hand prints on the outside & it's been decorated a beautiful dirty greeny brown colour inside

#2 is due on friday, so next week really is the last cleaning i'll be doing for a while! Need to have a look through FlyLady's detailed cleaning lists & think about what I haven't done lately, but that can wait until tomorrow!

[Carrotsandcelery]

sponge when the dcs are older they will take charge of Mother's Day and make a big fuss. Some men just don't get it!
Moving house will be a fantastic opportunity to declutter on a massive scale. I could easily justify at least one skip on the driveway prior to putting this house on the market if we were ever to move house. We have only been here 11 years and moved here in the back of a mini metro too [shame]

[Carrotsandcelery]

Ooops! Just noticed I wrote shame instead of blush! You get the sentiment though!
How is everybody?
I have been doing better the last two days. I got a lot of basics done yesterday and I did a lot of ironing this morning before I got dressed.
Our summer has ended for now - grey and rainy here - so we are off into town to get the dcs summer sandals and to see Rio at the cinema. Has anyone seen it? Do I need popcorn to survive it?
I go guilt free though knowing I have got a wash on, a wash hung to dry, the dishwasher on, heaps of ironing done and plenty of time spent with the dcs already.
Time for slobbing out in the cinema for a wee while I think

[bessie26]

carrots an afternoon at the cinema sounds fab - I have no idea what Rio is, but I would advise popcorn, and possibly a bag of maltesers too!

I'm having a quick break in the middle of home blessing - today I got to pick the little-bitty specks of paint off the new wood floor in the dining room (why couldn't DH put newspaper down before doing the skirting board?) so now my knees ache.

DD & I are supposed to be going to play with NCT friends later, but that means I have to wake her early from her nap (never a good idea, she likes her sleep & hates to be woken) and (more importantly) means I don't get to have a snooze myself!

Think I might go take a few squares of chocolate upstairs & sleep plan the cleaning for the rest of the week

[Carrotsandcelery]

bessie you read my mind - I opted for the MASSIVE bag of Maltesers and ate about 2/3 of it on my own. Infact, I could nibble the rest of the bag now. In my defence I felt too sick for dinner

I wouldn't dare wake a sleeping 2 year old. Never a good plan. I hope you enjoyed your planning session

The film was great - I thoroughly recommend it. Ds was boogying to all the carnival music in his seat. It was bright and cheerful and just perfect for us today.

[bessie26]

carrots sometimes your mind is very easy to read

I'm off for a walk in the sunshine now but here are the links to daily focus, mission & detailed cleaning

I have no idea what babystep we are on, must be near the end though?!

[Carrotsandcelery]

Thanks for the links bessie - that is a good mission for me this week. With dh working such long hours just now I am realising all the little things he does which I take for granted one of those being emptying the bathroom bins way more often than I do, despite the fact it is generally me who fills them.

I am also learning to appreciate Flylady all over again. I haven't been on the ball since school broke up/all our visitors and we are really feeling it. Doing the ironing yesterday was a huge relief yesterday - I could dress this morning without running around naked scaring the neighbours having to hunt things out in the morning.

Dd (10) has been hiding laundry in her bedroom though. I realised when I was folding laundry and there were no pants in her pile. I sent her upstairs on a no shouting amnesty but it still didn't all appear. I had to send her a second time. What is that all about? Now she doesn't have jeans to wear to her friends today and I have a heap of laundry all in one go.

[spongefingerssavedmylife]

Wow, day 29 of babysteps already! And it's to buy some new make up!
Hot spots are definately heating up a bit with no pre-school this week. And DD2 is very keen to use her own spoon (15 months) so extra floor cleaning. On the other hand it's keeping her occupied for ages!

[bessie26]

Day 29? Well done sponge!! You're flying!!
I hope you have a mess mat under DDs chair? My DD(2.5) still has hers! (it makes cleaning up sooo much easier)

carrots emptying the bins is on my Sunday & Thursday list as well as putting all the recycling away too. If DH is around then I just pile it all up in the utility room for him to put out - it's nice for them to have a job to do!
Do you think the lack of jeans will make your DD better at putting her stuff in the laundry? Or is 10 too young to remember? [clueless]

I'm making a baked risotto tonight... just chucking it all in the oven seems to be good to be true, but it's looking hopeful so far!

[Carrotsandcelery]

bessie last year (early November) I took everything in her room that wasn't where it should have been and put it in a big black bin liner. She earned back one item every day her room was tidy. She was tidy after that until about 2 weeks ago. I think birthday excitement and my own low level flying are partly responsible. I don't think this incident will get through to her as she found a nice outfit anyway but doing her own ironing for a week or two usually does the trick for a while [evil]
Let me know how the risotto goes.

sponge you are definitely flying. What make up did you buy? I don't remember that one!! I will be back with you properly come Monday morning.

[bessie26]

carrots the putting stuff in the bin liner sounds like a cunning plan (I wonder if it would work on DH?) and it sounds like it worked for a long time! It is easy to get out of the fly lady habit though, especially when you've been busy with visitors!

I'm sure I've seen something on the fly lady site about routines for kids, but I can't find it now! Could she do her own 5min "toy rescue" every day? I'm trying to get DD used to the idea that we spend 5mins putting the toys away before bath-time, but I think it's going to be a few more years before she'll be doing it by herself!

The baked risotto was great! and sooooo easy! I plan to cook all my risottos that way in the future!

DH has finally finished decorating the dining room and moved the furniture back in there yesterday so today will be spent cleaning under where the cupboards have been for the last 3 months (I can't believe it's taken so long... we are definitely paying someone to do the work next time!) and moving the last few bits & bobs out of the spare room back into their rightful place!