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.

Thank you carrotsandcelery :)

Have stopped for a coffee break. Welcome electra. I hardly ever iron too, partly just because I find it extremely boring to do. I try to hang out washing as soon as machine is finished (but depends on what else is happening at the time)
then when it's dry I -try- to put it away asap.(not always possible). I'll have to try using conditioner but not sure as dd gets mild eczema now and again.
Have done:
Get dressed
Declutter welsh dresser
it now has tidy piles of paperwork on rather than the muddled mess that was there before I started.
To do:
try to encourage dc to get dressed(still on school hols)
wash up/dry up(will I ever finish it?)
Right better try to drag myself away from computer

I have finally started, my pots are done and my sink is oohhhhh so shiny, and I've blitzed the lounge, not that it will stay blitzed for long, go me!.

Well done everyone.

I have finally finished the ironing. Yay!

I am having another wee break while I decide what to do next.

There is still no sign of the washing machine engineer.

Everyone is soundng really positive, which is brilliant and very motivating this end of the puter too I think, I am for once feeling very on top of everything, which is good as have a list as long as my arm and want to have everything sorted by the time I go back to work, so that I can then get on Dh's case about keeping on top of it all. I can see the routine working, I just have to keep up with it, little at a time I think - I already have myself in a routine for workdays, putting clothes out the night before, making lists and planning the day, I just have to get DH on board or I just take everything on myself.
Today I have:

Got up dressed and took Dh to work
washing done and out on line (and back in again, bloody rain)
Schlepped round town trying to find a plain apron without flowers on it for my dad
bought the stuff to make a plain apron
Skyped my mum (sounds violent, its not)
dropped stuff off at charity shop
bought various house cleaning stuff
washed up
made bed

now to:

sew an apron
take photo of DD for the front of it (how does this sound - pic of dd with hands over face, caption "She couldn't believe it when they said they had left Grandad in charge of the barbecue again" as a birthday present
make a transfer
other sewing jobs
more washing
Do oven pride to leave overnight (2min hotspot)
make dinner

phew! better get on with it..oh, hand on, will add glass of wine to the list, when it's all done!

angel could I have your recipe for the squash & quinoa cakes? I love quinoa, I can swap a recipe for black bean croquettes !

having a break

I have put two loads of washing in / one out on line
the winter duvet does not fit in washer so i have to take it to laundrette
I have sorted clothes in little bedroom in to piles and put in binbags wo work thru this week
I got dressed and got son dressed
made breakfast and lunch

still to do:
Washing up
Shin sink

Also does anyone have any ideas of what i can do/cook with william desert pars?

Was making good progress with washing up but we've just had dinner and the dc still want pudding so I will be a few steps back again with washing up.
How do you all manage yours?
I am attempting potty training again today, we have had 2 wet pairs of pants so far so no success yet.
Still TO DO:
wash up some more
Shine sink
Get dc pudding
get dc ready for bed.

Cheap I have made a lovely desert with pears out of a magazine. You got some ready roll puff pastry and cut as big a circle out of it as you could (although any shape would work really), brushed the pastry with beaten egg and touch of milk, then peeled pears and layed out thick slices of them on the pastry. Then you baked it. Before serving you sieved some icing sugar over the top. You could serve it with cream, ice cream, custard etc. Not healthy but very simple and it looked very impressive.

I am off out to a meeting in a mo so dh will get the evening routines - I may have to add some additional business at the meeting so it is all done by the time I get home, although my friends might lynch me. Maybe safer just to suggest going to the pub!

Well, literally just as I wrote my last post and was feeling rather proud of myself, my darling ds's came running into the lounge with faces smeared in yoghurt, ds2 then decided to lay his head on the freshly wiped sofa. So after giving them both a right royal telling off I decided to take them to my grandmothers, where I could de-stress and moan to an adult. Also went doctors and got a chippy for dinner and ate it round grandmothers, so my sink is still shiny!.

Can I join please? I'm finding it REALLY difficult to keep any order at all in house and could really do with some help and motiviation. I'm at work all day and don't get in with DD till about 5, then mostly homework, dinner etc till bed around 8/8.30 and then I'm mostly too lazy tired to get anything done. End up sitting on computer (not literally, that would be disasterous ) till all hours. A few months ago my internet wasn't working and I got a LOT more done, though lack of MN was awful obviously! What can I do to sort this out? Tonight I have no clothes ready for shcool and work in the morning, two big loads of washing to hang, and hundreds of things needing sorted, tidied, cleaned, dishes in sink etc. I'm in a bit of state to be honest and it really is getting to me, can't enjoy time with DD properly as I'm always thinking about the state of the place!

Hi everyone! Welcome starrychime - I found juggling flying with work challenging but it's all about getting it into your routine somehow. She talks about how much you can do in 15 minutes and I think for work nights, at first, that may be all you can do - but it will make a difference...

Hi Electra we use Ecover laundry liquid & conditioner and the only things we iron are work shirts.

^starry* wasting spending time on MN the PC is a killer, I used to set a timer, but these days I only allow myself to look while I'm feeding DD2.

Today I

• shined sink
• finished updating diaries & calendars
• watered the houseplants
• washed kids clothes
• washed & dried picnic mar
• pack DD1s bags ready to goto GP on tues
• did 2 mins on pile of post (hotspot)

Tomorrow's list:

• dry & PUT AWAY kids clothes
• shine sink
• 2 min hotspot
• pay for kids activities next term
• change & wash kids bedsheets
• tidy bedroom some more

And my Tuesday tasks:

• take DD2 to baby yoga
• meal planner & shopping list
• don't get cross when ILs bring DD1 home late (like they do everytime, so throwing out bath & bedtime routine for both DDs usually resulting in all 3 of us crying)
• eat chocolate
• pack DD1s bags for nursery

I?m finding this thread really helpful ? thanks Carrots for starting it, and Cani for suggesting we move here.

Carrots, I?m very impressed at your DH doing the evening routine when you?re going out. If I go out, I have to start doing all the jobs when I finally get in!

Cani/Electra, I?ve read that white vinegar is good as an alternative to fabric conditioner and should be okay for children with eczema. I don?t know whether it?d make the clothes less creased though.

I gave up ironing when DH stopped work (he?s a student now) ? even when he is working, he just wears unironed shirts. I used to iron everything, even casual clothes. It?s saved so much time.

Done yesterday

• washing done & hung out x2
• dry washing put away
• washing up / dishwasher
• decluttered shelf on top of wardrobe & threw lots of stuff out
• went shopping yet again
• got halfway through making quinoa and squash cakes before giving up and having pizza for tea
• collected something from Freecycle
• wrote thank you card
• put stuff away in shed
• bundled baby clothes up into bags
• tidied away some Duplo & meccano
• sent a couple of e-mails
• went to bed early

DH is joking that he?ll be next in line for decluttering.

I?m very excited at the arrival of my vacuum storage bags from Lakeland today. Now I just need to fill them with duvets & pillows and I?ll have cleared a whole lot more space in our spare room.

My sink isn?t quite as shiny as the day before but I did virtually all the washing up, so that?s near enough.

Today:

• finish making squash & quinoa cakes
• freeze chicken stock
• tidy up Lego in spare room
• e-mail friend
• (if time) pack away too-small nappy stuff / shoes

Large coffee or something similar required here today............Lack of sleep due to restless night with dd.

Me too, Cani - DS was a bit restless in the night too and is trying my patience this morning being extra shouty!

Have a .

ahh that's better! Drinks while mumnetting. I have a feeling it will be sloooowww progress in this house today. In need of another cyber kick please!

AngelDog you are making very good progress lately, keep up the good work!

Morning all! We are onto week 2 of flying and it hasn't hurt too much so far

Today we are on babystep 8 I am not convinced about this one. I think we all find different ways to store our lists. As I have said, mine are blutaked inside a cupboard door as I didn't want more clutter hanging around. I know others use apps, some use post its etc. I think the important bit is to find a system that works for you.

bessie very interested to hear how effective the ecover laundry stuff is. I assume it is not tested on animals. Does it say on the packaging. At the moment I use the co-op own brand as it is BUAV approved.

I am going to try to be brave and reduce the number of items I iron and see how we get on.

Angel that is another scary list - you must be like a human whirlwind I am very jealous impressed. Please let me know how you get on with the vacuum packs for the duvets etc. I think that will be my next investment on the home control front.

Cani and Angel be kind to yourselves. Sleepless nights are the pits. I will give you a gentle boot Cani but only once you have finished your second and second . Some days just require you to do the basic list and leave it at that.

Btw - I noticed today's babystep suggests a second 2 min hotspots later in the day.

Welcome starry - I think we all have different schedules and work commitments. I think you will find if you stick to the basic routines and break it down into little tiny chunks then it isn't so bad. eg do your 2 minute hotspot while you wait for the kettle to boil when you are mumsnetting. You will barely notice it. I do sympathise because although I am a SAHM by the time the dcs go to bed I just want to curl up under the laptop or watch tv. I think doing what you can will be better than doing nothing though so start gently and see how much you can manage.

My list for the day is mostly laundry. I am amused by how excited I am to have my washing machine and tumble dryer back in full working order.

I am also going to declutter, swish the bathrooms, do the kitchen worktops, make tonight's tea, load the dishwasher and meet a friend for coffee - all before school pick up as our after school routine is crazy today.

Hello everyone

Today i have (so far):

• put 3 loads of washing in and on racks
• Got one bin bag of rubbish out of bedroom
• made the beds

-put the clothes on the floor in the basket to wash

I'm having a break now as baby bump hurting a bit Also with SPD and my back hurts so lazying on sofa for a bit.

Tonight i will:

• make lunch and dinner
• do washing up
• shine sink
• put clothes away

Wow Cheap - that is real progress, especially on the bedroom It sounds like the rest is well deserved.

I have dealt with the dishwasher and worktops, put on another load of washing and I have been decluttering the sideboard, which has led me into finding the boxes for heaps of cds and dvds which seem to have accumulated up there. It's a bit of a tedious task but at least I can sit down and do it so it is a bit of a rest too. I have also spent well over my 2 lots of 2 minutes on it already so I reckon I can consider that covered.

Hi all, I am going to have a basic day of doing babysteps only I think, as all my good intentions went out the window yesterday when DD was sick all over me and the sofa yesterday afternoon, this carried on all evening, finally got to bed at 2am. She seems better now, but have got nothing done as she is very clingy, poor thing.

However, silver lining is that DH did 2 loads of washing yesterday (3 bed changes and everything that was covered in sick!) and did most of the washing up, mostly without asking him to! Just shows he can, however I did get annoyed when I had asked him to change DD's bed and he stood up to do it but got sidetracked by Grand designs for a good 5 mins, just stood there staring at the TV whilst her bed had sick in it! Men!

On that topic though, I read through some of the 'man' version of the flylady site yesterday, think its called ask tom, anyway, was highly interesting, found an article about how we ask for things in 'womenspeak' and why they ignore, (would link but typing with one hand and cuddling DD with t'other.)

Anyway, it made me think, my list today:

Babysteps
dry washing and put away
re-make DD's bed
finish craft projects if I can
food shopping, if I can get out later!
school work, if she sleeps.
Try to put oven pride on before bed. (the oven, not me!) (that'll be my hotspot I think!)
but mostly..

Practice trying to ask Dh in a straightalking manner to do stuff, not saying 'this needs doing' or anything like that, just saying what I would like him to do when he gets in.

Missmakestuff - my DH was like then then i lost it with him and i told him to do the washing up and told him he had from 6 - 7 pm to do it in and then made sure i was looking after DS and give him the time to do it in. It worked. Then when he finished i said "Thank you for helping me - i really needed you to do that". It seems to work, along with him seeing me do some housework as its not just him doing it its me as well. It seems easier to ask him to do things now but its getting the time to do it that is hard for us.