We have finished the babysteps - cautiously moving into toddler sized steps now.

[Carrotsandcelery]

You are all going to be so disappointed. My hobby is horse riding. Ta da!! I really wasn't trying to be coy. I didn't realise you were all so nosey took such an interest in fellow thread members I am totally mortified that it is not hang gliding or rally racing or anything a bit more adventurous

I have finally got washed and dressed and risked trying out the washing machine with towels all round it on the floor. Fingers crossed

Good luck with the washing machine Carrots.
Do you have a launderette in your village if it breaks down?

Thanks Blackcat (any cake left?) I am going to peek soon and see if the floor is awash

We don't have a laundrette - our village has a shop and a chemist and that is virtually it. Even the big town next to us doesn't have one. I think I would have to do a 45 min trip in to a laundrette in the city and the same home again. Luckily my dmum is closer so she would help me out. It is just a total pain trailing all my laundry over there as it is still a 16 mile round trip.

That is quite a drive for you. I hope the machine is o.k.

We are quite lucky here as we have most things not far away although we are the only big town for miles. There are lots of villages and small towns in our county but it is an hour on the train to the nearest city (in the next county Lancashire)

Hello everyone. That sounds like hard work, Carrots.

How's the stomach ache, Blackcat?

We're on the mend but still a bit weak & sorry for ourselves. I think a good night's sleep will sort us all out.

Of course the house has degenerated into a complete tip, but I've tidied up the living room and bathroom so that's a start.

Anyone know how missmakes is doing?

I think term has begun again so missmakes will have her nose to the grindstone

So far the washing machine has behaved - fingers crossed.

Glad you are perking up Angel - hopefully bessie and blackcat are on the mend too.

Angel
I think it's nearly gone now. thanks. Glad you are starting to feel better.

Glad you're all feeling a bit better. I've not got any signs of either DDs cold yet!

Good news about the washing machine carrots! Has it been fixed, or has it just magically started working again?

I've just had a bit of a panic, we're having some photos taken of the 4 of us next weekend & I have nothing to wear! Well, i have some jeans, but the only decent top i've got is the one i wore to the last set of photos we had done!

Is anyone doing the zones? It's the master bedroom next week, so I will be focussing my attention there, mainly decluttering I think!

Morning all! I am having a busy day. My first job today was to put a dead rabbit in a box full of hay ready for burial What a terrible thing to happen on a Monday morning. Poor dd

Her mate has been put in with the young lady bunnies though so hopefully he is happy being a sugar daddy

I have done the usual: dress, lunches, school, dishwasher, worktops, washing machine, declutter and clean kitchen table and pack up ebay sales for the post.

I am having a and doing the meal plan and shopping list now. We have virtually no food and no store of meals in the freezer (our freezer is tiny).

I am lacking inspiration so I have the cook books and magazines out. Anyone got any good ideas?

Hello, I think I am on a go slow today. Have done a few jobs but at a slow pace!

Done:
make beds
Get dressed to shoes
DS to school
done whites washing
Tried to declutter welsh dresser but lost enthusiasm!

I sometimes feel like its a loosing battle cause I tidy up then DD comes along and undoes what I just did.
We still have the case of the missing toys from Saturday and also my library card has gone walkabout.

How do you all store stuff?
Are you organised and have a place for EVERYTHING or do you just shove things in drawers etc?

Carrots sad about your rabbit

I think I will tackle the kitchen next.

Hi Blackcat You have still got a lot done, even if it was done slowly. It isn't a race.

I know what you mean about it feeling futile. As your dd gets a bit bigger she will learn to help a little more and hinder a little less, although I still have the same problem.

I store toys in plastic boxes with lids. I then stack the boxes. I also use plastic drawers in a little plastic drawer unit. I try to keep as many of these inside wardrobes as I can. Ds also has a box at the end of his bed for miscellaneous bits and bobs so they can at least be put out of the way.

I use the plastic drawer units inside our wardrobe as well and have designated drawers for make up, sanitary stuff etc, lotions and potions etc. They do need to be gone through fairly often but it is a start.

I try very hard to have a place for everything as I think it reduces stress. There are some things which "float" around the house though as I figure out where they should go. Regular decluttering does make this easier.

My biggest issue is paperwork. It seems to flood into this house and ends up in bags in the dreaded study which it is not currently possible to even get into.

carrots sorry to hear about the bunny

I made this soup for lunch today in the slow cooker. Very easy & very yummy. Also contains yummy red lentils, so will have lots of iron in too black

black yes, everything has a place in this house - on the dining room table!

I've just been having a & a look at the menu for the rest of the week.
Next I'm going to

• wipe the kitchen ceiling properly (DH missed a bit)
• clean the bathroom floor (didn't manage this last week)
• run around with the vacuum

bessie the soup sounds good. I think I will have a bash. It is virtually fat free too so a good healthy one.

I am trying a new recipe tonight but it is not a very healthy one. It is sausages in an onion and red wine gravy with a layer of mashed potato on top with spring onions through it. It is in the oven just now. I will await a verdict.

When everyone came in tonight they liked the smell but when dd saw it half made she said, and I quote, "That looks disgusting!!" She is on a roll tonight though. She just tickled ds while he was doing a wee and he weed all down his trousers etc. I have had to put him in the bath and settle her down to her homework

Yes, black it's the stuff which doesn't have a home which makes my life a misery.

I like Carrots' idea of clear boxes. I do that in the kitchen - everything except tins, jars etc is packed into boxes. It makes it much easier to keep things tidy.

Toys are kept in storage baskets in the living room, with not-currently-used ones in Ikea Trofast boxes in the spare room.

Sorry to hear about the bunny, Carrots.

Today I've managed to:
hoover kitchen
send a couple of e-mails
wash up
wash DS's toilet seats (in the dishwasher!)
do 3 loads laundry

We are currently drowning in damp laundry, so I think I'll hold off washing any more so I can use the washer dryer for drying tomorrow.

How about putting all the stuff that doesn't have a home in a clear plastic box labeled "homeless things"? and putting it on the dining room table

Hope you get your laundry dry angel, it's horrible & misty here, so no chance of drying anything outside.

Morning all, I like the sound of plastic boxes for all the odd bits and bobs.
I know think I need to have a decluttering session.
Also to do today is: hang wet washing on airers, wash up/tidy kitchen.

I am also struggling with wet washing. It's the usual too warm to put the heating on but not drying without it problem.

I have also made an almighty mess panic baking muffins for various escapades by various family members today because my ddad ate all the ones I had already made.

Plastic boxes are my answer to everything. I agree that a clutter bucket box would save general mess. At least it would all be in one place on the table and could be moved quickly so that you could set the table

We had a panic this morning looking for lunch tickets which do have a place but after me being away last week, were no longer in it! grr!

My list for this morning

• persuade snotty DD2 to nap in bed
• change bed sheets
• make mush for DD2s lunch
• start house blessing

Hmmm, that reminds me, we're going out tomorrow night, I wonder where DH put the tickets? (I don't think he knows where the place is!)

Have stopped for a brew .

So far today I have done:
(Usual stuff):
Breakfast, get dressed, DS to school

Hoovered and mopped kitchen floor
Hanged wet washing on airers

Still To do:
sweep cat litter off kitchen floor ( Cat has just chucked it everywhere!)
Wash up/dry up
decluttering.

black does your litter tray have a lid? We got this when we needed to keep the cats indoors for a few weeks & it made a HUGE difference to how much mess there was to clear up.

I've done my list, flying will resume after lunch

No but that might be a good idea. We don't let her out cause we have a busy road nearby and there are a lot of dogs that live around here too.

I hadn't realized it was nearly lunch time
This morning seems to have gone quick!

Hope you've all had a good day?

I got my house blessing started by tidying, vacuuming & giving the loos/sinks a good clean.

After I changed & washed the bed sheets, I put some cleaning stuff through the washing machine. Then took the filters out of the dishwasher, gave them a good scrub, and put some cleaning stuff in the dishwasher.

I also cooked DD2s lunch, DD1s tea and an experiment in the slow cooker which will be my lunch tomorrow.

This evening I did the meal plan for the week. Need to do the shopping list tomorrow.

I am feeling quite pleased with myself, got lots done today. Now I just need DD2s cold to go away so she stops waking up in the night

bessie that is an impressive list. I think you have earned today's Maltesers

I baked and then went to a friend's house for coffee (and some home baking)

I did clean the kitchen when I got back in (worktops and put dishwasher on) and put a wash on.

Then I wrestled with my charity ebay listings but I think I have got it sorted now.

I have been ironing this evening but not our own clothes, it was charity ebay clothes. Does that count?

I also spent time today putting all the money I have to send out this week to activities etc in envelopes so we don't have to scramble every day. It felt very flylady somehow