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.

Hello carameldoughnut and welcome to the thread .

Good luck with reading it all! nettie posts a round-up each day to it might be worth just scrolling to those to get a feel for who everybody is etc. I perpetually fall off the wagon every day . But this thread always makes me jump right back in again (every morning) .

Hello,

Checking in to catch up and say hello. Morning tasks mostly done, but I still need to put the washing out and have a quick look around the house as DD1 has a friend coming today and her mum might come in This is the kind of thing that used to have me in a panic, so I am pleased that it should not require too much upheaval now that the house is much more under control.

DD1 is making a film about animal neglect with her friend for homework and they hope to use our large, well-fed, rabbit in it. I have no idea how they intend to make him look neglected when he is in prime condition for spring and is inclined to try to mate with anything that moves (or even things that don't move). Should be an entertaining day!

Other than that, I have lots of work to catch up on now that my parents have gone home, and no doubt DD2 will feel left out and require more attention than usual.

Today's tasks are:

Washing in - done
Washing out - next!
Breakfast done and cleared up - done
Wipe surfaces - done
Sweep kitchen floor - done
DD1 to doctor - done
Quick run around supermarket to get lunch for DD1's friend - done
Swish and swipe - after washing
15 minutes in focus zone (bathroom) - to do
Ironing

Probably lost more that I can't think of yet!

Have a good day, everyone

Wohooo I'm on fire.
Sink is shining
I'm fully dressed and made up
Bed is made
Washing on the line
Cleared a hotspot. I'm amazed it only took 2 mins as I've been putting it off for so long.

The plan is to take the DCs out on bikes for an hour.

I really need some ideas to keep them entertained. Free or as cheap as possible?! Any suggestions gratefully received. Hope everyone is flying.

can i just scream

this place is toooooooooooooooo
big

aaaaaaaaaarrrrgghhhhhhhhh

thank you

I keep meaning to ask this, but has anyone managed to find anything in the UK like FlyLady's rubba scrubba? I keep reading about it in the emails but although I have scoured Wilkinson and several other shops I can't see anything like it.

Caramel : in answer to your question about free/cheap entertainment: Woodland Trust free activities for children; Cadbury's Easter egg hunts; Movies for Juniors at Cineworld (£1 per person on Sat mornings); free kids' activities in London; free downloadables for Easter here; playdates; library visits (we managed to spend four hours on a trip to the library yesterday, meeting friends there and bringing back lots of free books and cheap DVDs). Also, am not sure if the free swim schemes are still going on - I keep meaning to ring our local leisure centre to check. It might be worth asking.

Janey - in sorry contrast to my response above, I have no idea! Sorry!

Ellie - you are very brave! Good luck on the school trip.

Nettie - glad yesterday proved to be a good send off for your friend.

Today's list:

B/fast done
Crisis clean in kitchen (which took ages) done
Washed DS2's sheets again (he had clean ones on last night, but wet them in the night) done
T/D on done
Kitchen hotspot done
Dress (er, not yet )
Osteopath
Lunch
Put washing away
Declutter bedroom for at least 15 mins, if not more
Water seeds
Second wash
Dinner
Before-bed routine
Bed at decent hour

See you all later.

Toffee - our free swimming stopped last year unfortunately.

Caramel We go to a couple of local country parks / Forestry commission places for cheap entertainment only costs a pound or two for parking so long as you take a picnic and resist the coffee shops. Also take the DCs and wander round garden centres. How old are your DCs? My two like "helping" with the gardening and baking.

Just noticed, Toffee and Caramel. Yum!

Just out and about. Thank you for suggestions. Bought bits and pieces to do some baking. Now on way to library. Not managed any flying this afternoon. I'm hoping they're going to be so tired that I'll be able to crack on later

janey I found this suggestion when I googled Flylady's rubba scrubba.

CaramelDoughnut Hello and welcome to the thread! I also like the Toffee/Caramel combination.

DD1 is pestering me for the laptop so no time to post any more now - not that I have a great deal of Flying to report, I must admit. Am hoping to be able to stick to my routines next week even with the DC at home, but am not feeling too optimistic.

Right...update.

washing done
drying doing
decide which clothes I am taking done
Shopping for toiletries and possibly some new clothes done
Haircut done
Get Euros done
School to pick up work done
Pack
Try and get house presentable as DH in charge for 3 days and it needs to start tidy or god knows what it will be like when i get back downstairs

Getting there.

Back later.

Thank you, Linzer. There isn't one near me but I'll keep an eye out next time I'm away from home.

Dear fly ladies - sorry if this is off topic (or tangential) - but i think if there was just me i would be better at cleaning - but cos i feel like DH should be helping i get locked in a vicious cycle of not doing stuff cos i did it last time (ie i did bathroom last time) IYSWIM.

How do we get motivated together without nagging and start a virtuous cycle instead?? I feel like a mug if it is just me.

I've done loads today but the kids are starting to drive me a bit mental.

Still to do...

• file paperwork (I plan on collecting in a pile all week and then file on a friday)
• Think of something for our 'date night' (Will prob be a bottle of wine!)
• Find payment on my bank statement. Just discovered my charm has a gem that has fallen out :( I'm annoyed as I paid £50 for the charm but can't find the reciept. I'm hoping the shop will replace it, not very good at complaining or returning things
• Wash bath mat
• Hoover/mop DCs rooms (Wil do this tomorrow)

On the positive side. I have completed all the missions!

Woodifer I found that when doing flylady last time DH kind of joined in. I know what you mean tho. I've been working hard all day and trying not to get frustrated by what hasn't been done.

Woodifer - I accept that I have to do all of the Flying, so I just get on with it, but then I am at home (work part time from home), so that's fair enough. Can you allocate jobs to each other? DH and I have never discussed it, but we do have jobs that we expect the other to do, eg. he does the garden.

I am proud to report ......that I have decluttered my side of the bedroom! I have two bagfuls of books to give away to charity shops and I have cleared the side table of all the papers and photographs etc that had piled up. I keep admiring the clear, clean space . The next challenge is to keep it this way!

Caramel - I suspect that you, like me, may have a sugar craving too...

Off to have some well-deserved and put the boys to bed.

toffee I bloody love doughnuts (yep from Greggs) that'll be why I'm overweight I'm tackling on the household clutter then I'll work on the body clutter.

I've worked really hard today and can really see progress! I am totally shattered now though. Need to wait for clothes to be wash then I can lay them out for tomorrow

I thought some of you might find this site useful www.menus4mums.co.uk I use it for my meal planning 2 x adults & 2 x children. Well worth the money for me.

Enjoy your evening all. I'm settled down with a cup of tea and Eastenders on catch up - rocking out on a Friday night

www.menus4mums.co.uk

I'm done! Am going to have a little nap and then depart for a few days! See you on Tuesday .

bye ellie have a nice time [wavey smiley]

Right Ive not done the ironing again for a second Friday running. Perhaps I should take it off my Friday list? Ive got more time on Sundays to catch up with that. I was going to do it this aft, but got carried away with Mumsnet and washing machines (and reading a thread about horrible neighbours and rude drivers) so have half done housey stuff while being on here by trying to work out how to use bleach on my once a month 90 degree wash.

Anyway todays tasks:

1. start load that it is washing machine, hang it up or get it in dryer - done
2. Iron earlier load - nope :(
3. Weekly grocery shopping and put it away - done
4. wipe down sides - done

Ive also got my uniform ready for tomorrow so I have done another thing.

Right work all day tomorrow so as usual no list. Will be back Sunday.

caramel be careful on your wild antics drinking tea and watching EE, could get yourself into all sorts of trouble

woodifer I find that if I ask DH to do something he does it. He knows he's quicker than me at cleaning and is more than happy to do so. just wish I didnt have to have to ask and he'd think about it himself, but oh well.

Hi to everyone else.

have a good weekend everyone, speak to you later

Good evening all

toffee is the fountain of all knowledge on dc occupying for the easter break. She is very kind and gives her dh a break but lets him do the garden. She has done what I still cannot bring myself to do, declutter books. well done.
cheerful yank has been decluttering bedroom and bathroom and still found energy despite being ill to walk the dog and shine the sink.
ellie had a last minute scramble for holiday gear and is taking 40 teenagers on trip to the battlefields. (am I the only one who thinks being a coach load of teenagers is already a battlefield?)
scatty finished for the easter break, was very strong and did not look after more than she could manage and went to replace the mistakenly eaten easter egg.
linzer was trying to squeeze in as much as possible before school breaks up and was hoping to catch Quincy on Iplayer.
carameldoughnut welcome to you. I am with you the state of my house is directly related to my moods. I do tend to get a bit panicky when it turns to chaos as I know it means many tears a foot and a dh on eggshell watch don?t read all that gubbing before do a fly lady and jump right in.
janeyjampot is in post visitor mode and has a rampant rabbit (sorry) definitely neglected clearly needs a mate
cobwebcinders popped in as usual and made a little squeek exclaiming how ginormous her abode is. (imagines a castle with 6 wings and a dragon housed in the 5th)
whoknows is in a place with forests .
woodier ah yes I have had this problem for many years. I resist now on his laundry alone, if he doesn?t put it in wash basket it doesn?t get done. I do have to ask re dishwasher etc etc and ask for help at every turn. So not very helpful advice. Welcome to our thread.

My dh the other day came home and said how tidy the kitchen was

Todays list for me was small

Work done
Zoo done
Mad panic cleaning partly done
Also new bedding on my bed
Swept bathroom, snug, living room and kitchen.
Wm on
Dw on
Tried to clean bath crayon writing off bath
Took braised beef out freezer for tomorrows cottage pie.

Still need to tidy dc rooms, pray for sunshine, change dc beds, remove piles of dried laundry from kitchen, move clutter to spare room (close door), check smoke alarms, make banana cake. Themwillbe tomorrows issues.

I will try and get in before too late tomorrow, apologies for all those already snuggled up in bed about late round up again.

Be back in a mo with some linkies.

myhouse definately take it off list. Ironing never ever appears on my list

read it or weep

No missions its the weekend and family fun day. find your family and drag them out for some fun.

Pst...anyone know good trick to get ds 4.5 to listen? [tear hair out emotion]

Survived the day, now have a dishwasher, but can't plumb it in cos the last people took away some vital nozzle or other. :( Still, DH will get that sorted tomorrow while I do other errands in town.

I managed to slightly rearrange the utility room so it looks a bit better - still needs major decluttering and rejigging though - and to get a bit of mending done so I'm feeling quite pleased.

Hello to caramel and Woodifer and au revoir to ellie.
Going to bed. Have nice weekends everyone.

cross-posted with Nettie - one that can't be used too often is to call out "Chocolate!" and then say "Oh, you CAN hear me..." With you on the hair-tearing though. Have you read the "How to talk..." book? I found some of the ideas useful although they seem like they might be better with older kids.

blue lol at chocolate!! I'm gonna use that. I do believe I have that book buried in my bookcases somewhere. Maybe I'll find it in my declutter. Thanks.

Glad you had a good day