Anybody interested in joining me for a flylady thread, starting with the babysteps?

[Carrotsandcelery]

I joined a thread which started in January and it made an enormous difference to the condition and calm of the household.

I have lapsed and thought I would go back to basics and start again.

Anyone want to join me?

My dcs go back to school on Tuesday so I thought I would start on Tuesday morning.

should Congratulations on the tent. Yay!

Cani You time should be top of the list, especially on a Saturday.

I have cleaned out the fridge ready for the groceries, then my card was declined in the supermarket so dh will have to go down later to pick them up.

I have also done my two hotspots but I am avoiding ds's room as it is in the roof space and it is roasting here. I already have a headache so I don't think it will help. I will see if it cools later in the day.

I am just off to do today's babystep as I fancy a wee rest.

I have come to a standstill. Just lost my enthusiasm for work now so apart from tea I'm having the rest of the day off.Going to spend some time MNetting or watching tele.
CarrotsIs it really hot in Scotland today or is it just hot in your house?
It is really rainy here in the North of England.

Hi everyone, just been catching up on the thread, you have all been busy I see! I had a busy day on Friday, and today, but have got everything done, have used my 15min declutter to organise files on my laptop and my folders for school next week. we have had a few crazy evenings of trying to get DD to sleep, last night again she was up until gone 9, just didn't want to sleep. I had thought it might be a developmental thing, she is 17 months in two weeks, so that ties in with what someone said earlier, thanks (sorry, can't remember who!) and someone has suggested only letting her sleep an hour at lunch, she was having nearly three as seemed to need it and it meant I could get stuff done! She did then sleep all night though, which was amazing, I feel lots better.

Those of you with DH's that don't help out much, I totally get it, mine does my head in, but I did sit down with him last night and ask him to sort himself out a bit and he has said he will get up earlier (as he wakes at about 3/4am anyway, and isn't able to get back to sleep.) so that he is able to put washing on and tidy after himself in the morning. he also does seem to really just not see the mess. So at least I know it's not willfull, just some strange man 'mess blindness'. So that might be a start.

I have decided to do missions on days off and weekends only, unless I really feel like it! So here is my list for tomorrow:

Up and dressed by 10am
School work for 2hrs
Get DH to put tent away (inspired by should)
2min hotspot (dds bedroom)
15min declutter (towel cupboard) DH job
Mission
Hemming trousers and ironing work stuff
order new trousers for work from next
Roast chicken for dinner (DH)

evening:
visit friend and new baby
pack bags and make lunches
clothes set out for morning
shine sink
work emails
bath and bed (by 11pm, hopefully)

Hope you all enjoy the weather if it's nice by you, we are just off to the second barbecue this weekend.

Cani it is hot outside Mind you, hot to me is anything over 20C

miss it sounds like you are figuring it out - I think we all have to adapt to our schedules. I also find I get more done on busy days than empty days

I think I will do better from Wednesday next week as I will only have one child at home all day instead of two. They both really wind each other (and everyone else) up when they are together. The house has descended into chaos today.
But that has been cause I haven't been feeling great so have done very little.
Hope tomorrow is better. I think when ds is back to school I will be able to get some kind of routine going again.

Sounds like everyone's doing well. Hope yo' don't have a return of the funny spell, Carrots.

Cani, I bet it'll be easier for you once your DS is back at school - at least you won't have to be acting as referee!

It was roasting here yesterday and I was glad to stay inside and do housework (our house is pretty cool, thankfully).

A decluttering question, I wondered what others do - do you start on one room and keep going till it's finished, or do a bit in different rooms so everything is a bit more sorted.

I had a productive day despite lack of sleep. It'll probably hit tomorrow, but I'm not planning on doing much housework then, and my PiLs are visiting (and bringing the lunch with them! )

Done today
Washed up x2
Deep cleaned bathroom sink
Washing machine on x3 (mainly pillows)
Washing hung out
Revised laundry schedule
Roasted aubergine & squash
Cored & chopped loads of apples ready for crumble
Unloaded dishwasher
Went to market
Put away dry washing
Changed bath mats
Cleaned front door step

Still to do

• pray
• physio
• tidy kitchen & downstairs
• hoover
• put away dry washing
• finish emptying pushchair
• pack up snacks & books for DS ready for church tomorrow morning
• go to bed!

Saturday night is just rock and roll here!

I am absolutely shattered but living room is decorated, girl on x factor is giving me all over goose bumps might be a winner!!!

Angel I declutter wherever the mood takes me really. The theory is that eventually we work our way through the main clutter and the hot spots keep it in check and we only need the odd declutter.

I didn't reach that stage last time but others certainly did.

I am getting much better at moving stuff along to new homes though. That is one area where the recent funeral was an eye opener. A few family members have now got the job of clearing my relative's house.

She had lived in that house a long time before I was born and her parents used to live there with her too. I always loved it there as a child as it was a treasure trove but I realise the job of clearing probably about 60 years worth of accumulation is more than daunting.

It will certainly motivate me to declutter, declutter, declutter. The study is my dreadful room. It is so scary I try to stay out of it but I think I should spend at least one of my declutters a week in there. If I can empty it enough then I can give away some furniture in there and turn it into a music room as we have several musical instruments cluttering up other rooms and it would be great to get them all into one room.

A girl can dream anyway

You can do it Carrots what a fab plan you have. The moving stuff off to new homes struck a cord with me but in my case it's more about creating new hot spots

However the hotspot in my kitchen is gone (today, lets hope it stays that way)! The hotspot by the computer is a work in progress but the pile is very much smaller so getting there and we've been out nearly all day :)

missmakesstuff glad I inspired you. Hope you enjoyed the BBQ, a well earned rest after all that hard work on a Saturday!

carrots my dads house is just like you describe, I daren't even think about that one. Wishing him a long and happy life.

Oh I ment to say carrots before DD was born our study (now her bedroom) was a major junk area. A really kind friend came round one evening and she over saw me with the bin bags. Each time I picked anything up she made me make a decision about it (charity shop, bin, NCT sale or keep and put away in new home there and then) It was great and we cleared the room in an evening.

I have to say we have never gone back to the state the room was in before we started. I'd really recommend that strategy. It was hard emotionally but it worked. Happy sorting :)

should that sounds a perfect plan.

I am certainly guilty of moving my hotspots around. eg the sideboard gets tidier but the pile by the fruit bowl grows etc.

The suggestion that you never touch anything more than once is one I need to learn.

I think that will be my mantra for next week.

I am very tempted to fill the hallway with a box for charity shop, recycling etc and make myself classify it.

should, that sounds like a good plan you suggest. Well done on the hotspots. :)

Carrots, I really can't believe that anyone gets to the point of 'no clutter', especially on 15 minutes a day! It'd be wonderful to get to that point one day. As you say, we can dream... Actually, we aren't too bad (we're tidyish now, just not organised) but there's a lot that needs sorting.

Gossip, well done! :)

The hallway boxes idea sounds like a good one.

Phew, I'm worn out now. I've done all my to do list above plus:
repeatedly put (washed) pillows in dryer
cleared up & washed up after DH made brownies
made porridge for tomorrow
generally tidied & put things away

Haven't had time to sit down & rest, but there's bed for that.

Tomorrow - day off, but need to:

• package brownies up nicely for FiL's birthday
• get CRB forms signed
• cook apples for crumble
• make baba ganoush (counts as fun)
• keep drying pillows
• soak detergent drawer of washing machine overnight tomorrow
• wash nappies

carrots I remember you made great progress with the study back in the spring, I'm sure you can rekindle your enthusiasm!

Our spare room used to be the dumping ground. Now DD2 sleeps in there, everything's moved to the dining room!

When I declutter I just do where ever is annoying me the most that day.

Our major hotspot is the post pile by the front door. I often clear other hotspots in the house by just moving the stuff to there, especially stuff DH has left laying around the house & I don't know whether he wants to keep.

I really need to sort out my box file, then I could hide file some of it away.

angel hope the pillows dry soon! I was going to wash mine a few months ago, but chickened out!

DH is away this weekend, so I'm just keeping things ticking over. DD2's naps seem to be improving so I'm hopeful I'll get a bit more time to do stuff soon.

bessie, I'm trying to summon up the courage to wash my feather one - I'm very attached to it so I'd struggle to sleep if I couldn't get it dry! Could be a launderette job, I think.

morning everyone now day 9 and just read flylady, declutter 15mins today - not sure I'll get the time. I'll check in this evening. Fly well everyone, hope it's a good pillow drying day!

carrots as the post arrives I throw out all the junk mail and try to file mine (or create another hotspot) and stick DH's in his work bag as soon as he's home. I do have a box file for post but it never seems to find it's way into there?

Morning all,
To Do:
Breakfast
make bed
get dressed
do some washing / drying
put away dry washing
wash up / dry up
Hotspots / decluttering (15 minutes)
label all school stuff with name
go shopping (if needed)

One of my hotspots is my welsh dresser, all kinds of paperwork etc tends to pile up on there. also I have a drawer cupboard that is full of paperwork so I tend to work on these two areas when decluttering. I just need to do a little at a time, I'm already noticing the improvement in the drawers as the top one is not as full as it used to be.

The dining table is now residing in the hallway, hopefully the lounge will stay food free from now on, which will make is easier to clean, however as the table is in the hallway, right in front of the front door, I have a sneaky feeling it will become a hotspot on a daily basis. The lounge looks lovely it just needs the rug to finish it off. I'll be back to my flight plan today after all the hard work I've been doing, I'll be happy to get to my routine.

Gossip it sounds like you have been manic, we have a to-do list of DIY which is ridiculous, we bought this house to do up 6 years ago, did all the major structural stuff, then kind of sat back and said...coving? who needs coving? or doors, for that matter?
I will be just doing the routine after today, I feel like things are much better, with the exception of a few major areas, but not ones that impact much, like my studio and the loft, a few drawers that need to be organised, but they can all be done a bit at a time. The major thing now is actually cleaning the house properly, but I suppose thats what the missions are for, just hope I can manage in 3 a week to get it done. The DIY will have to be put on the list though, its going on too long!!

I am going to be busy today, meant to be up earlier, but after the barbecue we couldn't get DD to sleep until we drove home at 11pm, and then just as I was drifting off at 2am (worrying about school) she woke up, until gone 4! She is still asleep, I need to wake her really but I am just enjoying some quiet. dreading this evening, she has to sleep tonight, I need to have a couple of hours to get organised!

Am already up and dressed, plus have done one hotspot, going to get on with some work whilst DH sorts DD and the towel cupboard after he has changed the bed.

Delegation!!
Have a good day everyone!

Hello everyone!

It sounds like everyone is making stunning progress.

So far I have:
Read my book in the bath, washed and dressed to trainers
Decluttered the cereal section in the cupboard (2 min hotspot)
Got dd to clean out all the small furries outside (and helped where needed)
Played with ds
Made soup with the help of both dcs
Endured horrendous tantrums from the dcs because they didn't like the soup
Sent dd to her room to pull herself together
Room rescued bathroom

Still to do:

Make bed
15 min declutter
2 min hotspot
dishwasher and worktops
head out for some sports equipment dd and I need
Make tea - hopefully something the dcs will not kick off about this time
Layout clothes for the morning

miss goodluck with the sleep - it sounds like a tough night
bessie you are right - I did really well with the study last time and was very nearly there - I am sure I can get there this time

Today's babystep is this one This is a routine that has more or less stuck since last time. It slips a bit at the weekend but is just part of my natural behaviour when the dcs are at school.

Hehehe laundry! DH once said that I spend so much time doing the laundry it must be my hobby! And that was before we had any DC!

Since then, I always say "I'm off to play with the laundry" it somehow makes it feel like slightly less of a chore!

I still include it in my morning & evening routines to ensure I don't forget to take it out of the machine & put it on the line/in the dryer. I'm still rubbish at putting it away though, I do find pairing socks extremely tedious. I've been training DD1 to do it, by playing snap with them, but I think it will be a while before she'll do them by herself!

Hi bessie - I am also fine at washing and drying the laundry but rubbish at putting it away. Ds sometimes helps but usually I wait until there is a huge pile and produce it in the evening and dh and I work our way through it. At least that way you can have a chat while you do it.

echo everyone on the putting the laundry away. My excuse in the summer has been "it's airing" in the conservatory. At the moment it's heaped in the airing cupboard but as I cannot get anything in or out now is the time to declutter.

However one evening last week I did the summers worth of ironing so at least that heap has gone for the time being :)

Tackled the dining table today. Almost there on that one.

Respect to you missmakesstuff thinking of decluttering the loft!!!!!!!!

'Yes, I'd disagree with Flylady that 'it only takes a few short minutes', but being on top of it is much harder. I have been much better at putting clean laundry away since joining this thread and it's made a real difference. :)

Well done, Gossip and shouldbe.

Hope you manage to get some sleep tonight, missmakes.

Done here:

• packaged brownies
• got CRB forms signed (one less thing to hang around on kitchen table!)
• cooked apples for crumble with DH's help
• dried pillows some more (takes forever)
• washed nappies

Still to do:

• put dry washing away
• make lunch
• get everything ready for tomorrow
• write list for DH explaining DS's eczema creams
• hang out wet nappies
• go to bed earlier than yesterday - not doing terribly well on that one.

I'm on an all-day course tomorrow till Thurs (for fun, not anything to do with working) so I'm not planning on doing any decluttering, just the very basics to keep us going - I want to do some reading in the evenings if I can too. DH will be cooking dinners and doing some washing during the day though. :)

Hi all, didn't have a great day here so hoping for a better day tomorrow.
Did manage to wash ds school jumpers though so they will be ready by Wednesday. Still need to get everything named(school clothes, shoes etc).
I'm off for an early night soon so will catch up with y'all tomorrow.

Hmm.. Perhaps I should reclassify the clean laundry basket a "hotspot" and do 2 mins every day? leaving the socks til last

angel they're still not dry? I am NEVER washing my pillows!