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.

whoknows I'm interested in your couch to 5k programme, could you let me have a link please? I am seriously fat and while I have cut down on the food , I really need to increase my exercise. The dcs have not taken kindly to my insistence on using feet instead of the car (except when I've a big shop).

And like I predicted yesterday, we drove past DPs work to get to our NT house, and yes, people were driving in expecting it to be open. How long have we had these Sunday trading laws now?

I didn't do much today as we were off visiting family, but we did set up the toy organizer that we got for DS. I will post a picture of it in my profile, I love it so much! :o He used to just have a big toy bin, and then would dump it out to find what he was looking for. So hopefully this will keep things a bit tidier.

Hope you all had a fabulous day! [busmile]

Good morning!

Well done on your run, whoknows. I'm just back from my 'back to chocolate' 5k and trying to pretend that the chocolate I ate yesterday (and will eat today) has been magically erased from my hips... [bugrin]

I also did Couch to 5k with my dd a couple of years ago (when she was 11). I would really recommend it DartsRus. It was just on iTunes and called C25k I think. I have been running 5k five times a week for the last 2 years and can honestly say it's nearly always the best 30 minutes of my day now. I recently downloaded Bridge to 10k and although I completed it I find at my advanced age (41) that my joints protest if I do 10k too often. My long term aim is to do a 10k once a week, either on Saturday or Sunday morning, and stick to 5k during the week.

Not a lot of flying anticipated today - some washing, ironing, swish & swipe, along with the obligatory food preparation/clean up.

Have a lovely day, everyone.

Morning/Evening everyone. Sounds like lots of nice days were had yesterday although various small people were giving the big people grief [buhmm]

WhoKnows - well done on Week 9. Brilliant feeling isn't it? I did it 2 years ago and kept running for about a year afterwards. Want to get back into it as I loved the feeling it gave me and I enjoyed the 'me' time. I didn't find I lost any weight until I started Food Focus Bit of a pain to start with when you make your food from scratch a lot but made me think a lot more about portion size etc
Go for it Darts - like Whoknows I never would have believe that 1. I would do it and 2. I would enjoy it so much.

We had a pottering sort of day and failed to have a roast dinner as we managed to forget to get meat out of freezer the night before!! Currently defrosting so hopefully roast tonight.

Got most of things done yesterday - chocolate eaten, things planted (spuds, courgettes, sweetcorn, salad, rocket), re-potted petunias, got half of Olympic tickets sorted (need to finish today as closing date for ballot is tomorrow) and went for brilliant walk last night.
SiL took us to a badger set to look for badgers, sat close to it for nearly 2 hours as it got dark, supping hot choc. Badgers didn't grace us with their presence but were buzzed by a low-flying barn owl and saw lots of bats. Got home in the dark at 9.45 and we all felt we had been on a real adventure [bugrin]

Plan for today includes:

• Washing up from last night - badgers were calling [bublush]
• General tidy-up throughout
• Hoover throughout
• Kitchen floor
• Finish booking Olympic tickets
• Plant more things though really need potting compost for little seeds
• Ironing tonight

DC not back to school until Weds and don't know that Japanese friend is coming to see us tomorrow [bufrin]
I need to get house reasonably presentable by then whilst still pottering about outside as much as possible.

Must stop rambling and get on and do something!
Have a lovely everyone [busmile]

Morning Janey - took so long to write post you had been and gone.
Nice to see another runner and interesting about the 10k. I do harbour a secret ambition to do 'the big one' (a marathon!) for my 50th but need to get on with it as don't have too long to go and have never really done much more then 6-7k [bushook]

Feetheart I love Food focus. It really does help you to focus on what you are eating. And i love that it includes cleaning in its exercise list and gives you more calories to eat if you exercise more. It is a good thought provoking activity.

With everything that happened yesterday i thought i had a crap day flying wise but on hindsight I got ironing done, folding done, bathroom floors washed, 2 loads washing done and half a crumble made. So all good really in terms of flying.

I am collecting ds from his dad's a bit later and have to get moving and do a few bits first. Car is full of recycling so need to do that and i have a promise about a tidy bedroom to keep with ds. feel like shit though so not sure what else i will get done.

The house is a tip, but everywhere I turned yesterday there was a person in my way! So this morning, I am blitzing the house, whilst mum works in the garden and keeps an eye on DS2. DS1 is building imaginary worlds on the computer. DH is at work. Hopefully, order will be restored in time for back-to-school day tomorrow.

DS2 is being very difficult about putting on sunscreen. Have any of you wise Flyladies got any tips about persuading him? Yesterday, I managed to get some on him, only to see him wash it off again because he said he didn't like the feeling. I have just shown him some ads for children on You Tube about 'slip, slap, slop' to show him how important it is. At the moment, he is playing indoors (his bedroom leads onto the garden, so mum can watch him whilst he plays). But tomorrow I will have to put sunscreen on him before school and I'm dreading the battle.

Am very impressed by all of you who are running regularly. I don't do any exercise (apart from walking everywhere) and it's on my mental 'to do' list. I keep meaning to try zumba, as I like dancing.

Just going to hop into a bath, then on with my list!

Toffee my house is also a tip. Can't do anything until DD is back at school as she has turned the lounge into a shop as her bedroom is a pigsty (my words not hers lol) so can't play in there. Have a pile of ironing taller than me that i must do today so that is what i'm aiming for. Have had friends and family here so am catching up from all that plus the weather is too gorgeous to spend indoors cleaning. Sorry I've not been around on this thread this month much but been on holiday too and been working but i will be back as must get back into the habit (have shined my sink once this last week [bublush])

Enjoy another sunny day all [busmile]

Toffee - my house is a tip too, am looking forward to getting everyone out tomorrow, I will hopefully manage an hour of housework between coming home from work and collecting DCs from school. As regards suntan cream, DS hates it too and so do I. DS has worn long trousers, socks and long sleeves throughout this hot weather to avoid having it on, I have managed to get a bit on his face but that's all. DD doesn't mind it, sometimes when he sees how good she is being about it he cooperates more. I sympathise though, it aggaravates my eczema and I am itchy all over when I have used it, so I have been dressing the same as DS and have been keeping my hair loose to cover my neck. No real advice there, only sympathy! I do stress to him how much worse it would be to get burned.

Darts - the Couch to 5k is the subject of a long running thread which I joined last week Couchto5k thread . There are various versions out there, I have been using the NHS choices one this one.

Feet - I have just started my diet with an Iphone app that logs everything you eat and all your exercise, probably similar to Food Focus. Only started yesterday, my run equalled one small Easter egg.

Janey - I am a bit older than you and 2-3stone overweight, so don't want to overdo it on my joints either, I think I am going to limit myself to 5k. At the moment I have managed 3.7k in my hlaf hour, my next goal is going to be to get that up to 5k/30mins. Respect for managing it 5x a week, not sure if I will ever manage more than 3.

Feet - about 20 years ago a friend took me to a purpose built badger watching hide, it was up your way somewhere, near Hatfield I think (this was when I lived in Bucks), we saw loads of them and it was a truly memorable experience.

CHB - hope you feel better soon.

Yank looked at your toy organiser, very good!

Thanks whomoved , DS and I are loving that thing! :)

My house is a disaster too, but I'm going out with DS to enjoy the sunshine and then will be back to blitz.

I'm starting to feel like I can really do this...really be the kind of person whose house is generally tidy and doesn't dread people popping by. :) I'm in awe of that, really.

Found this quote today and it made me smile:

My second favorite household chore is ironing. My first being hitting my head on the top bunk bed until I faint. ~Erma Bombeck

Feet I've never seen a real badger! How cool! We're full of wildlife here (bears, wolves, the occasional moose), but no badgers that I know of.

Whew! Easter with my parents was fun but I'm exhausted now, and DH is v grumpy because somebody sat on the Humax remote and now we can't record anything. [buangry] [busad]

Tomorrow's list is basically:
washing
attempt routines
straighten up house a bit
work

Hope you've all had a lovely Easter. Waves and staggers off to collapse with pizza!

Hi everyone to you all.

Well thats the Easter hols over with, back to school tomorrow. Cant decide if Im pleased or not. I never know what I want. On one hand I like having the routine that the school day brings, but on the other I like having a break and a bit of a rest and a lie in [bugrin]

Ive been a bit off track over the last couple of days and have not done anything at all. Do I feel guilty? No not really. Some things have remained tidy though. I just have a bit of catch up with laundry and need to get used to doing certain things in my routine again (such as washing a load everyday, ironing, getting uniform ready for school etc). As its only a 3 day week this week and next (due to bank hol next mon and polling day Thurs) Ive got a couple of weeks to work my way into it again.

Right tomorrows list:

1. start washing machine with load that it is in it now
2. hang washing up or load into drier
3. ironing for 1 hour (to catch up and my earlier load)
4. wipe kitchen sides
5. wipe kids table
6. get uniform ready for school
7. go to post office to post some important letters

Thats it tomorrow as my Tues mornings are now taken up as Ive agreed to be a helper with swimming in DS's year 1 class. Its his first proper lesson tomorrow, really hope he doesnt panic once hes in the water (he's not one for getting his head wet and always crys - god knows what next door think when we wash his hair with all his screaming)

darts I miss running. I used to go last summer in the mornings (I got up an hour earlier). I used a program from netmums another parenting website that did a great mum run last summer. We signed up and they sent us an email every week of what that plan was. I also found a couple on the internet. Just google it and you should find loads of different plans. Its well worth it and I really cant wait till next year when I start again. I didnt do it as much as I should last year [busad]

toffee If you walk everywhere (as I do too) you are nearly started a running program as they all start with more walking than running. I found one that had the first time you go out you walk for 10 mins and thats it

whoknows Im glad that there is a thread about running on here as I feel that will motivate me, just like this thread is a bit (apart from the last 3 days anyway) I will have to have a look at that next year.

Right off to have one last night from my time off flying, non-alcoholic here's to flying again tomorrow

Good evening easter bunnies [bugrin]

janey well done on keeping up routines, that?s brill flying indeed. Hotspots smotshots be damned its easter and we deserve some fun [bugrin] @ couch to 25k!!!
whoknows you always inspire me with your couch to 5 talk. I have downloaded the app and done a little at gym but not past day 2. You must be a lot fitter and firming up muscles even if not loosing weight. at your run equalling one small ester egg.
darts glad you got the last cookie. [bugrin] sounds like a lovely day yesterday, hope today was just as good.
cheerful love toy organiser, we have just several plastic drawer units and unless dc are on a mission it is much easier to put one box away at a time. Glad you had fun visiting folks. Quote made me snigger. [bugrin]
feetheart badger walk sounds so cool. Hope you have a fab time with your Japanese visitor
chb well done on yesterday. Hope ds had a nice time and you all get back home safe and sound. Im checking out food focus after this.
toffee hope house blitz went well, ive been doing exactly the same. I doubt it would help but I saw kids sie sun cream pots designed especially for them to take to school. Do you think he might like that? Just cos its one for him. Alternatively stupidly expensive but there is a once a day sun cream maybe you could win him over on the fact it would just be once?
ladyinprettypinkbunnyears like the name, sorry only just noticed. Love dd stating her room is pigsty [bugrin] nice to have you here in whatever flying mode you can muster whenever you can. [bugrin]
blue glad you had a lovely time [buenvy] over pizza.

Today has been good and bad. Didn?t get dressed until one. Washing done, dried, floors swept and mopped, all clothes put away, couches cleaned, swimmed with dc, cleaned bathroom, kitchen tidied, clutter moved to my room and spare room, cleaned dcats bedding, took ds to swimming lessons, bathed dc and had a lie in after having to argue with dh that he has already had 2 lie ins and he will be away all day tomorrow on the boat so I cant lie in then either. [buangry], finished my book and put straight in declutter box rather than stored on bookcases for eternity. My house is looking good. [bugrin] just don?t open my room or the spare oom! [bugrin]

So tomorrows list

Hoover hall/stairs/rug
Sweep floors
Hang washing out
Sort shoe racks
Put away toys and empty stair basket
Shopping for wine, crisps and biscuits.
Plant seeds with dc [bublush] should have done Saturday
Take dc out to a park.
Dinner?.
Meeting at mine.

That?s not too bad. Hope you all have a good night. I off to dejunk my bed so I can get in it.

Be back with linkies in a mo.

Linkie McLinkies

babystep

vaccuming to skirting boards

Glad everyone seems to have survived and enjoyed the Easter break even if Flying seems to have slipped in some quarters (the S Beds one being a definite culprit [busmile])

Got some of my list done today - quick tidy round, hoovering, ironing. Also managed a nap this morning and to cook a yummy (if I say so myself!) roast beef dinner this evening.
I have just spent an hour finishing off the Olympic ticket booking thing but DH has gone to bed and its his Visa card I need - mine expired some years ago due to lack of use.
If we get all the tickets I have applied for the £300 we have saved already won't go half-way towards paying for it [bushock] Mind you, I have applied for the cheapest tickets for everything, including both the Opening and Closing ceremonies as well as the cycling, diving and swimming. If we get any of those we will be very lucky, much more likely to get football as Wembley is a big place [busmile]

One more day of holidays here so very short week before another 4-day w/e - I could get used to this [busmile]

Night all.

Ugh! I have to go back to work tomorrow. Ewww...but we're in the home stretch now and school will be out for good on June 3rd. Huzzah!

Not as much FLYing today as I'd like but did the morning routine with beds made, everyone washed and dressed. It was so lovely and sunny today! :) DS and I took a few of his friends to the playground and had a lovely time.

I did the living room decluttering.

Lots and lots of dishes.

One load of laundry.

That's about it...going to bed now, will see you tomorrow!

Morning all,

We arrived back home yesterday afternoon after a lovely few days away. The hotel organised an Easter egg hunt with a small Easter basket for each child hidden somewhere in the grounds, which was good fun; the DC loved the animals there too (DS declared that his favourite part of the holiday was the pony and the rabbits). An added bonus was that DH and I managed to eat in peace in the evenings while the DC went off to watch the film at the children's club. [busmile]

Now back to the daily grind - well, almost; DH has just left for work but the DC don't go back to school until tomorrow. We've almost run out of food so need to go shopping once the DC are up. I also need to catch up on the washing and plan tomorrow's English lesson, but won't make any more ambitious plans than that until the DC are back at school.

I haven't managed to catch up with the thread yet, but noticed that exercise is a recurring theme - something I really need to do something about (when I went for my medical check-up last year, the doctor could tell just from my blood tests that I wasn't getting enough exercise). I'm quite tempted by Couch to 5K, but I don't even own a pair of trainers.

Waves to all - hope everyone had a lovely Easter. Will go back and catch up properly with the thread now.

The Olympic tickets are BOOKED - [bugrin][bugrin][bugrin][bugrin]

If that is all I achieve today then I will be happy :o
However I better have a list hadn't I:

• Olympic tickets - done done done
• Try and sort out visit from Japanese friend - she emailed 3 times yesterday but I didn't log on and she may have sorted out something else now - argh!!
• Photos and email re bathroom to friend
• Morning routine (better try and get back on track)
• Ring RSPCA for advice re bastard big poo-ing cat that is terrorising neighbourhood
• 15mins in living room x at least 2
• Do something with DC - park and cake-shop probably :)
• Buy potting compost
• Plant seeds - sweetpeas, tomatoes, chillies, parsley, basil, coriander and carrots
• DD to Brownies in posh frock and with 'supper on a plate for one'??
• More ironing
• Evening routine - back on-track as school tomorrow
• Bed at decent time - see above!

Sounds like enough to me Cheerful. Hope work isn't too much of a shock.

Linzer - time away sounds lovely.
If you decide to do Couch Potato thing don't buy decent trainers until week 2 or 3 and then go to proper sports shop to get gait measured so you get the right shoes.

Better sort out photos of lovely new bathroom to dazzle friend

Hello,

Linzer - glad you had a nice time.
Cheerful - sounds like a very productive day.
Well done Feetheart on the tickets. We did ours on Saturday having put it off since the start. I really dislike the system but in the end I realised I was going to have to put up with it or we'd definitely miss out, as opposed to probably missing out because of the way the system works...[buconfused]

DDs are back to school and DH is back at work, so I am going to attempt a home blessing hour to get my life back on track. I don't have more than an hour to spend on housework today as I need to get back to work after what seems like weeks, but I think a purposeful home blessing will make me feel a lot better and help me feel as if I haven't completely lost my grip on my house over the last couple of weeks.

Have a good day, everyone.

Well done on the tickets, feetheart.
I've just downloaded the Couch to 5K podcast for Week 1, so feel like I've made a start! What's the reason for not buying decent trainers until the second or third week? (The only problem with that is that I'd have no running shoes at all for the first week or two.) I'm also wondering how easy it would be for me to find a sports shop that would measure my gait - I'll have to ask a friend of mine here who goes running.

Good luck with the home blessing Janey.

Off now to the doctor's (have just remembered that DD2 and DS's tick boosters are overdue) and then food shopping.

Linzer - maybe it is just me but I held off buying decent running shoes for a few weeks as I couldn't justify spending £70+ on shoes I might only use a few times. I needed to be sure I was going to carry on.

Janey - well done on ticket application. It does seem complicated though luckily my mum had found a visual timetable in the Daily Fail which helped.
Now I'm impatient to find out what we get allocated :)

Very little Flying done so far though have played a few games with DS, helped him start an email to Grandpa and had a bath. Breakfast next I think..............procrastinating, moi?

Morning everyone! Glad everyone has had a good holiday. Linzer - your holiday sounds fab, especially the children's cinema club that gave you and DH time to eat together. What a good idea.

So far today, I have:

Dressed
Done b/fast for DC
Managed to get sunscreen on DS2 using a reward chart (he gets to make Dennis the Menace cakes with me on Friday if he puts it on with no fuss for the three school days this week. It is all-day sunscreen already, Nettie. But he says it makes him feel like a statue ).
Dressed DS2. Teeth. Hair. Shoes. Hat. Bookbag. Water. PE kit.
School run

Managed to get a quick meeting with headteacher at school, which was useful to chat about DS1 and what to do next.

Need to get on with stuff now - and have b/fast myself. Back later.

[bugrin]

Morning. I have antibiotics so am feeling crappy today. Pleased to get them started as it means that in a couple of days i will feel human again.

Done
Training done
doctors appointment done
Be impressed by ds' improved table manners done It would appear ex has got as pissed off with me and been very strict with him. It was actually a pleasure to sit with him at the table for breakfast this morning for a change
Pick up meds. done abs and taken, others on order and will need to go back thurs for them

To do today:
something fun with ds
empty car
dry load of washing from the other day

tbh cba to do anything today so will just be ill and breathe. Always a bonus, breathing, imo