April Fledgling Flyers: April Fools we are not, babysteps and decluttering makes our thread hot, step right in and mark your spot.

[NettieSpaghetti]

Welcome, come away in you?ll have had your . This is the April Fledgling Flyers Thread.

Thanks to WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes who was champion at leading us through March.

We are trying to stick to the Flylady © Website and her baby steps and routines to help keep our houses out of C.H.A.O.S and ready for everyday, maybe the odd visitor or two.

Check her website out but don?t sign up for emails as they are likely to inspire but fill your inbox so full we might not see you till August.

The principles are:

Babysteps (one at a time)
Babysteps and 15 minutes daily decluttering
Babysteps and daily missions.

This month I will be posting the links and leading you down the road to building a routine and keeping your house under control.

It is amazing what you can achieve in a simple babystep,15 minutes a day and a little chat.

Good morning everyone/night cheerfulyank!

Busy morning this morning not helped by the fact that DD was wide achuffinwake at half past two this morning for no visible reason whatsoever and took an hour to get back off to sleep. Grrrrrrrr. List this morning looks like this:-

WM on
Washing away
Go into school to pick up work for holidays .
Banking
Re-make DC's bed (DD slept in with us last night so didn't need to make them!)
Pack for going away
Pick DS up from BF's
Banking
Pay bills
Keep place generally tidy

Better go and get on, coffee nearly finished.

Morning thanks for the welcome like and nettie there are many names on here I remember from last summer, its great you still here BTW, this is definately my comfort thread.

Yesterday I made a start but then DH came home with lots of gossip and a 'personal discovery' to discuss and I ended up having a nap - suburn/sunstroke!! Forgive the long lists - it is a helicopter view I will chat more when I get more done.

I am going to finish 'our room' as I have started then follow FLY Crisis cleaning - Ive sat and read it properly this am to make proper start.

Room 1 - Our room!
Sort washing into baskets done
Clear out stuff for charity done
Clear out stuff for chairty (textile recycling too worn clothes) done
Remove rubbish
Change bed
Sort through toiletries (must say this has been propelled by the fact I look like a bright red chiney pepper with folds and bumps as I burnt yesterday - house such a mess couldnt find suncream )
Dust windows and two bedsides
Clean windows
Hoover floor
Hoover edges !

Concurrent
Shove laundry through agressively I estimate:
Load 1 in and hung done - we will have towls!
Load 2 in and hung done DH will have shirts!
Load 3 in and hung
Load 5 in and hung
Load 6 in and hung

Good morning lovely Flyladies. Everyone sounds very cheery - amazing what a bit of sunshine does for us.

I have been catching up on sleep, thanks to the previous week's sleep deprivation plus coming down with a virus (the two are linked, I suspect). Fell asleep at 6pm on Saturday night, leaving DH to put children to bed.

Yesterday, DH went into major declutter mode and cleared out all the junk that has been accumulating in our garden. He ended up taking about 20 bags of rubbish to the dump. Then he had to pick MIL up and bring her back to us to stay, as she has a hospital appointment here on Tuesday. Meanwhile, I took the boys to get free seeds and compost from a 'food for free' event going on here. We came home and planted sweetcorn, lettuce and pumpkins and DS2 made little labels for them .

I did most of my Monday house clean yesterday, in preparation for MIL, so don't need to do that today, although I have plenty of other stuff to do.

Today's list:

B/fasts
Everyone get dressed
S&S
Empty d/w
W/M on
Put yesterday's wash away
Reload d/w
Make beds
Empty bin
Hotspots
Tumbledrier
Order washing line from Lakeland
15-min declutter in bedroom
Ironing
Water our mini allotment
11 - 1 Tesco delivery due
Book measles jabs at dr
Book new dentist
Book osteopath (neck still bad)
Find plumber for leaky tap
Text friend re PM meet up
Lunch
PM - Visit friend with DS2
Put washing away
Dinner
Bedtime routines
Before-bed routine
Bed at decent hour

Was going to write messages, but DS2 is awake and yelling. So - waves to all.

Good morning

swan what a hectic day you had yesterday. Hope you find some books to read.
janey thanks for school wishes
myhouse routines are Definately enough and will still
Make a big difference.
cheerfulyank hope you feel better soon, enjoy your day off sick, chill time needed too.
Ellie ouch poor you. Hope dd is ok today. Reckon she knows she's off on holiday.

Todays list.

Get up
Ring schools admissions team
Hope dc are dressed
Get swim bags ready off to the flume swimming pool as a reward chart treat
Washing to hang out: more washing to put in
Machine
Take chicken out of freezer for tomorrow
Try and find a home for stuff on kitchen top
Tidy dc room
Dw on
Go swimming once dh get back from dealing with boat electrician
lunch out somewhere nice
Ds swimming lesson this evening

Hope you all have a lovely day.

Morning all,

I didn't get a chance to post over the weekend, as we were either out or at least out in the garden. We went to a secondary school open day on Saturday morning (really liked the school, but it would mean a 45 minute bus journey for DD1, and it's very Catholic so I'm not sure she'd have much chance of getting in) and the girls played in their piano concert yesterday, after which we enjoyed our first ice cream of the year.

Have only just got back from a doctor's appointment, so am late making a start on my list this morning. Had better get on with it and come back to catch up on the chat later.

This morning's list:

Doctor's done
Buy bread - will rush out and do this now, as completely forgot on my way back from the doctor's (I asked DH to get some yesterday, but the baker's had already run out by 8 am )
Morning routine
Mission
15 min decluttering
Empty bins
Send birthday cards to DB and school photos to GPs
Plan English lesson

Mn-ing in bed whilst children play in DD's room - I love hoildays :)

Lovely w/e in sunshine including most of yesterday at zoo. Not sure how much I got done on my w/e list but will just shift it to today - ho hum.

Swan - am in similar state of mind re 'departure to foreign climes'. Only N Ireland so no currency needed but am building myself up to 6 days with my OCD stepfather and inevitable tensions re him, DC and DH
At least we have hired a car this time so can escape but I have a feeling that car will cause some tension on its own - long story from previous visit!!

• Pay for stuff bought on ebay - done
• Up and breakfasted
• Morning routine
• Clear kitchen - is hell-hole and as cats will be confined there for time we are away it needs to be minimal
• Ring and cancel appointment
• Sort out sleepover for DD
• Make reward charts for all of us in attempt not to slide into CHAOS during holidays!
• Create packing list (based on camping list which is invaluable)
• Offer sympathy/ear/shoulder to DSis whose boyfriend leaves for Afganistan today :(

Also need to do before we go away early on Thursday:

• Cancel milk
• Put outgrown uniform on ebay
• Plant seeds
• Bit of work
• Some School Assoc banking
• Pay plumber/electrician for work on rental house
• BOOK OLYMPIC TICKETS - is only for ballot so far Swan but need to be in ballot to get anything!

Lovely hearing what everyone has been up to over this summery weekend. Looks nice again so far today so here's hoping for summery, holiday vibes for everyone :)

Toffee what an amazing husband

ellie well for the first time the dcs didn't wake us at 6.30 - thank you ABBA!

nettie is reward chart working? enjoy Flume. Does dh have a boat, really? I think you mentioned this a while back, I am v.jealous. Is there a Boat Buyers bible I can consult, or magazine? Dh has no car or motorbike, and I'm just wondering if I can transfer his affections to a small dinghy or suchlke

list
take ds1 to sportscamp round corner, buy bread to add to cobbled together packed lunch for him
dd has now two friends coming over
ds2 refuses to go to sports, so he will have to play with them!

whilst they are playing I am tackling the clean laundry pile which is still not properly put away, hang up clothes in cupboards etc...
and sweep floor
sink

linzer most of the children at our school choose schools which are 45 mins away on public transport (also Catholic schools) it seems to be do-able, and everyone's fine. I've been a maverick and picked one nearer, interested to see whether it makes any difference. 45 on bus is presumably much nearer by car though!

i have been to bakery at six thirty am

cleaned lots of fluffy floors

baked choc biscuits with butterecream filling
done three loads of washing
and cleaned out the rabbit

spider hunting later

as ds is icky
and home from school

Morning all

Haven't had a chance to post over the last few days, but have actually been flying along reasonably happily for a change

Manage to make a start on the chaos that is the garden and also a bit of a wardrobe clear out for all 4 of us (can't believe DS is out of his newborn clothes already ). I now have a car full of junk to take to the tip!

I have resolved this weekend that by the time I finish maternity leave the only things in the house will be things I intentionally own .

So to make a start...

Washing * 2
Dishwasher
Go to tip
Buy fish
Make tea for all plus BIL
15mins declutter *2
Hoover living room
sweep kitchen floor

I have had a quick skim of the thread, am a bit that I haven't been keeping up with you all terribly well recently tbh, and hope you will understand. Babies are hard work, but slightly jealous 2 year olds are soo nuch harder

Oops, forgot half my list

Nag DH to text the plumber (the bl*y boiler is leaking again)
Make an appointment to register DS
Try and arrange a mortgage valuation for our house
Ring garage and see if they have got the £1500 they owe us out of the bank yet

Taken ds1 to Sportscamp with packed lunch, money, registration, sportsclothes
Picked up dd's friend on way home, another little girl just dropped off.

push you are sounding very very organised, it is very nice to hear from you, no need for more than that!

oh dear, SIL just called, another family emergency brewing this afternoon, shall have to rethink plans.
better tidy up now whilst have chance.

Am having quite a productive morning so far.

B/fasts done
Everyone get dressed done
S&S done
Empty d/w done
W/M on done
Put yesterday's wash away
Reload d/w *done&
Make beds done
Empty bin done
Hotspots
Tumbledrier
Order washing line from Lakeland
15-min declutter in bedroom
Ironing
Water our mini allotment
11 - 1 Tesco delivery due
Book measles jabs at dr done
Book new dentist done
Book osteopath (neck still bad) done
Find plumber for leaky tap done- major achievement!
Text friend re PM meet up done
Lunch

MIL is playing Junior Monopoly with DS2, which is leaving me with time to get stuff done for a change.

Glad you are all having lovely days so far. Will check back later.

it looks good in a list, but I'm not exactly speeding through it

Washing * 2- 1 done
Dishwasher unstack - done
Dishwasher restack
Go to tip
Buy fish
Make tea for all plus BIL
15mins declutter 2
Hoover living room
sweep kitchen floor
Nag DH to text the plumber (the bly boiler is leaking again)
Make an appointment to register DS - done
Try and arrange a mortgage valuation for our house - emailed surveyor
Ring garage and see if they have got the £1500 they owe us out of the bank yet
Finish online shop
Check finances

Update before lunch:

• Up and breakfasted - done
• Morning routine - need to finish
• Clear kitchen - is hell-hole - partly done
• Ring and cancel appointment - done
• Sort out sleepover for DD - can't make it work
• Make reward charts for all of us in attempt not to slide into CHAOS during holidays - done for DC and they are excited about them :)
• Cancel milk - done

Better finish Morning routine before we get too far into the afternoon :)

wanders through with spider busting kit

and heads for sofa

to snuggle up with icky ds

till whenever

Scanning through the last couple of days I'm quite excited to see that there are a fair few of us aroud the Yorkshireish area. Perhaps we should have a fledglings meet up with feather dusters or maybe just .

Yesterday's wash put away, ironing done (half an hour's worth!), Tesco delivery packed away, tumbledrier done and some clothes draped over chairs outside, lunch done. Going to meet friend shortly to chat whilst children bounce on her trampoline and climb up to the treehouse .

Just going to check our seeds before I go. I'm not very good with plants, but am determined to look after these little ones.

at the Yorkshire meet up.

Can those of us not in Yorkshire but commutable come too pushme?

Today did not start as planned. Infact it was a bloody awful start to the day and running out of time so wont post list now. will be back later with list and to read through.

Absolutely, the more the merrier . I used Yorkshireish advisedly! Where are you CHB?

Sorry to hear you've had a rubbish start to the day. Have a and a from me. My mum has just come round with an A4 sized chocolate brownie to thank us for feeding the cat over the weekend so there is plenty to go round!.

Right, I'd better get my lazy self off mn and head to the tip.

Have finished my morning routine and done today's mission, but as it's gone 4 pm here it's not exactly impressive. Am hoping I'll be able to get on with a bit more than usual this afternoon as DS is at a friend's house.

swan Good to hear that 45 minutes is doable; it would be just under half an hour by car, but DH used to commute along the same road and didn't enjoy the journey at all - he was always getting stuck behind tractors and other agricultural vehicles. My thinking is that if DD1 will be much happier at that school (and DH also thinks that she'll be given more support for her dyslexia), it will be worth the 45 minute bus journey - the problem is that it's so difficult to know beforehand.

Am also of a possible Yorkshire meet-up; I think I must be about the furthest fledgling flyer from Yorkshire now that Nick seems to have gone AWOL (although it's a fairly close call between Cinders and me).

Must go and make sure that DD2 and her friend get on with their homework - they were allowed to play for 5 minutes before starting it, and the timer has just gone off.

Afternoon all ...

Very envious of you lot who live in Yorkshire ... it's so beautiful ...and I'm yearning for a bit of country green as opposed to city grey

Yay!! It's the holidays!! DD and I had an extremely leisurely morning -weren't up and dressed until 10.45 am (although I did manage to give her full pedicure/manicure and scrub behind the ears - she's not easy to catch ).

Since then I have done morning routine (dw on, wm on, s&s, boudoir swipe, sorted gps)
Hoovered downstairs and cleaned cloakroom and loo
Did wo more loads of washing including hand washing
Played 3 x 20 mins ball games and 3 x 10 mins Connect 4
Made a plan for Easter holidays - trips/visitors/menus/8 parcels to send etc
Completed order from British overseas expat shop
Sorted office linen/office crockery
Cooked chicken, rice, 3 bean salad for lunch for 3 (dh came home) so they can have light picnicky sort of thing on lawn tonight while I chew on a lettuce leaf
Cajoled dd in to doing her homework (now complete)

To do:
sort linen cupboard
find Easter decorations in roof
tidy roof a bit while I'm there
sort side table
start first Holy Communion prep with dd
2 more loads washing
1 hour decluttering in home office
Weed and dig patch in garden where runner beans are going
Online order of compost/sand (for carrots) and terreau

I know this is going to sound pathetic with only one child to look after but have already given in to dd's demands to watch tv. Only held out until 4 pm on day one which is not good at all really (particularly in this glorious weather). She's been following me around like a lost soul today so I'm lining up the activities and the playdates ....preparing lots of easter cooking projects too ... hot cross buns and simnel cake. Going to buy a set of snakes and ladders too. Hopefully that will see us through until we go away on Thursday...

Good to see you Pushme - meant to say ages ago down thread that I really admire you taking your baby in to business meetings. In fact, admire you getting any work done at all with a very young baby and a 2 yr old to cope with. Not to mention Flying too! Hats off to you!

Hope your day gets better CBH

Three cheers for your dh and his mega-garden-declutter Toffee

Hope your ds feels better soon Cinders

Feetheart good luck to your sister's bf (have 3 cousins serving atm so know how she feels)

Good luck with school choice Linzer always stressful having to choose

Hope you get the primary school you want Nettie and thanks for round-up

Swan you are a very good sil! Sympathies over pre-church protests - exactly the same here ...

Hope you catch up on sleep tonight Ellie and commiserations on having to go back in to school today (your supposed holidays seem very full of work for holidays iyswim!!)

Good going on the washing Namechange !!

Love the Converses CheerfulYank Get well soon!!

Waves to Myhouse Janey Blue Whoknows Pa and everyrone else!! Apologies to anyone I've missed.

Keep Flying high everyone!! We can do it!!

Linzer give yourself a big pat on the back for doing a mission!!

I think I've only managed about three so far this month!

I want to go to Yorkshire!!!!!

Sorry, forgot about you CheerfulYank - you win the prize for being the furthest from Yorkshire!

SC Not pathetic at all - one DC can be harder work in some ways, as they're more reliant on you for company. (My three OTOH occupy themselves by squabbling.) And holding out until 4 pm before switching on the TV is very impressive by my standards!

DC have been next-door for most of the afternoon and I have been able to get on!
So another update:

• Morning routine - finally done
• Put away last night's ironing - done
• Hoovered throughout apart from our room - done

Need to do 15mins somewhere and hoover our room then make toad-in-hole for dinner.
More ironing tonight too!

Onwards.........