If tidying your home is your New Year's resolution, Flying with us could be the solution

[ToffeeWhirl]

Welcome to the January Fledgling Flyers' thread. A very big thank you to BlueEyeshadow and IceColdBitch for guiding us through the busy Christmas month.

Are you living in CHAOS (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome)? We know the feeling. We follow Flylady's routines, which aim to help you take control of your home, tidying and decluttering and setting up daily and weekly routines that keep your home looking presentable. We also chat quite a lot and swap tips on coping with housework and mess.

From the first of the month, we will be following Flylady's tips on restoring order to our homes. There are three methods, depending on whether you are new to the system or have been following it for a while:

1. Babysteps
2. Babysteps + 15 mins daily decluttering in current zone
3. Babysteps + daily missions

Following the babysteps helps to establish daily routines and build a weekly plan.

If you are overwhelmed by the mess in your home, start with just one thing: shine your sink.

Oh, and don't - really, really ^don't^ - sign up to Flylady's emails.

The first babystep will be posted on 1st January 2012.

Happy New Year.

Think I need to join. House is a tip. Full of stuff. Plus we are about to give dc the bigger bedrooms so we will have even less room in spare room. Over the new year break I tackled the lounge diner. It took me ages to just put things back where they live before I could even clean. DC and dh are so messy. Dh has all the grand plans like we must get rid of all the books in that bookcase (mainly mine) to make room for ds's new bed but his collection of cars can apparently stay in ds's new bedroom. I am not prepared to let go of any books I intend to read so would storing in the loft with all of dh' lego be cheating. Also have to be strong and get rid of most of the baby/toddler items. This really hurts.

Already today, I have:

• emptied tumble drier and folded clothes (no ironing in this house)
• filled tumble drier with laundry from overnight washing machine load
• emptied dishwasher
• filled dishwasher (mostly with washing up bowl and drainer!)
• kids are up and have had breakfast
• I have had breakfast (can't remember last time that happened)

I have not yet got dressed - dragging it out as today is our last day of the holiday - but feeling quite good seeing as we did not get up until an hour ago.

Up and dressed to slippers as there's no WAY we're going out in that weather! Stormy rain and blowing a gale But perfect weather for staying in and doing some decluttering. Will even try and get 3 DSs involved

thank you, the bed is made and the kids are dressed and im about to go get dressed too. Sink is shiney, got another load of washing to do and hoover
downstairs.
I know Im meant to be doign babysteps but there are certain jobs I cannot leave.
Please someone tell me there is a point I will be able to fit in ironing?

Morning!

weather vile here! So that puts paid to my morning run.

Got my neice and nephew staying with us today so have a houseful of kids.

Will attempt to get my butt in gear and get some stuff done today.

List for today:

Up, shower and dress to shoes
Swish and swipe upstairs bathroom
Make bed
Hang up washing
Put load of washing on
Hang up 2nd load
Empty and refill dw
Hoover
Swish and swipe downstairs bathroom

Major tasks:

Filing
Declutter and tidy utility room
Clean utility room
Ironing

Thanks for this Toffee....Day 3 babystepper here - and shink is still shiney and I am up, showered dressed to shoes (a lot earlier than past few weeks as anticipating early getting DC's to nursery tomorrow - DS's very first day, aaargh!)

Progress!
I have the second load of washing in.
Shined sink for first time so that took a while! Used window spray on it as the final step then used the cloth to do kitchen windows quickly. They aren't perfect but they are more clean than 20 mins ago .
Going into work for a while (teacher on 'holiday') but will hopefully be back to do more this afternoon.

Oh- dishwasher is on too.

And am showered and dressed to shoes and coat

Glad you dressed before going to work membershipcard

There goes the guinea pig cage in the storm! Just as well they are inside atm!

Up, shower and dress to shoes - done
Swish and swipe upstairs bathroom - done
Make bed - done
Hang up washing
Put load of washing on
Hang up 2nd load
Empty and refill dw - done
Hoover
Swish and swipe downstairs bathroom - done

Major tasks:

Filing
Declutter and tidy utility room
Clean utility room
Ironing

Got a little more done today than i did all day yesterday but still going to take it easy so i dont feel ill. Was going to declutter the biggest clutter zone in the house today (our built in wardrobes) but i dont want to risk over doing it. So the plan is..

Up and dressed to shoes done
Swish and swipe bathroom done
Kids lunches for school done
Kids up and dressed done
Breakfast done
Breakfast dishes done
DD2 dropped at childminders done
DS and DD1 dropped off at school done
put washer on done
cup of tea and breakfast done

still to do

am
Make beds
put washing on to dry
put washer back on
Wipe around kitchen surfaces and mop the floor (DP put rubbish out on way out to work)
Clear dining room table full of DD1s huge pile beautiful art work
Hoover living room, hallway, our bedroom and DDs bedrooms picking up crap toys along the way

Afternoon
wash up any lunch dishes
clean inside of the windows
Nap for an hour (docs orders)
pick up the kids
make evening meal

Evening
put dry washing away put more on to dry
quick wizz round kitchen
put out rubbish
lay clothes out for tomorrow
shine the sink

OK, late start for us today - none of us could sleep because of the storm! We're still on holiday here (till Monday 9th) so the list today is as follows:

Up, shower & dressed to flip flops :)
Make bed
Breakfast
15 minutes declutter in bedroom
Put away laundry
Wash dishcloths & tea towels
Quick clean of bathroom
Plan day out tomorrow for dd and her friend
Exercise for half an hour
Spend 15 minutes helping dd to tidy her bedroom
Shine the sink

Morning from sunny Texas (but freezing).

Made bed
Showered and dressed to shoes
Cup of tea

List for today:
Walk dogs
Run 1hr5mins (training for half marathon :( )
Empty all rotting/uneaten holiday food from fridge
Menu plan for week ahead
Go shopping
Stop at Office Depot while out and get filing boxes for the magical transformation of my paperwork mountain
Clean walls/windows of dining room
Shine sink

Hmmm

Just had HUGE argument with dd1 over digs money (or lack of it). So upset and angry. Maybe I should go for a run now to run off the fury.

Up, shower and dress to shoes - done
Swish and swipe upstairs bathroom - done
Make bed - done
Hang up washing - done
Put load of washing on
Hang up 2nd load
Empty and refill dw - done
Hoover - done
Swish and swipe downstairs bathroom - done

Major tasks:

Filing - DONE!!!
Declutter and tidy utility room
Clean utility room
Iron

Hello everyone!

I'd like to join... Am a disorganised cluttery messy mess. I am also reading the 'how to become more organised' thread...

I did Babysteps Jan 1- shined sink

Jan 2 - I shined sink again and got dressed and put my shoes on (?!)

Jan 3 - can I just ask what I am meant to do today? Not sure I quite understand...

I'm still here! And the kitchen sink is still shiny although not right this second as I need to stack the lunch dishes

Have changed the dress to shoes bit as DD2 prefers to get up about 5.30am and so getting out of pj's is not high on the to-do list! Instead I have instituted a morning 'bedroom blitz' - five minutes in each bedroom airing, making beds, tidying, etc. Only takes 15 minutes all up and after only two days I am noticing a difference.

Was a bit of a hectic rush this morning trying to fit everything in but I'm going that as it becomes routine it'll all start feeling a but less pressured time-wise! All off to school on time though despite faffing so it is definitely achievable!

I an already seeing a difference in the state of the house, it's lovely to walk into a room and see clean bits even if I have to focus my eyes very narrowly! So am determined to keep it going.

I do the morning routine with children, they wake at between 6.30 and 7 and there is no way i'm getting up earlier.
Morning routine takes approximately 1 hour and out of the twelve or so in the day they can free play ( do find they play well then alone anyway) they are in the kitchen with me so not abandoned or anything. if they bother me they get roped in to help, they do for a few mins then get bored and wander off.

Afternoon the lo sleeps and the older one get thirty mins of TV, when i do detailed clean and declutter. No TV untill all toys are tidied away and kitchen clean.
Evening routine when DH is doing story time.
On preschool days of which there are two home bessing stuff as lo naps for a long time.

Day three here. (Am not doing the shoes bit, as for me that?s a painful set of braces and heavy boots, that are part of outdoor wheelchair setup)
Am going to do a bit extra on kitchen/items pertaining to garden today, as good practise for when I get past baby steps.

Cristiane, I?m considering this thread and making time to read, be motivated by, and post on it, as my alternative to ?The Big Tent?. If I understand correctly it's purpose comes down to not being alone and getting motivated?

SoftKittyWarmKitty your not alone, I?ve a seemingly impossible mountain to climb. A lot of time spent in hospital and bedridden while family just lived through it, has left a disaster zone and a half, I'm here because I don't want to be overwhelmed by it any more, and though it's not my normal way, am trying blind faith. :)

SimplySparkling thanks. :) You?re not wrong, I?m much more understanding with friends than with myself.

Flyingoutofcontrol not really sure about zones and how it?s all going to work but I like the sound of your 8 zones = everything getting seen to every two months.

Right sink shined after the lunch rush, and I'm sitting down, relaxed, with a cuppa... Would never have happened last week! I would have been rushing around stressing about all the things I hadn't done.

This has been the most surprising thing about flying for me... I'm actually relaxing about the housework because I know there's a plan and it'll all get done, it's in a weird way given me permission to stop constantly striving to do more :)

Ok, thanks for your help. Tonight I will read through the thread and the organising one and get some ideas.

Right, not sure what thread I am meant to be posting on.

Could not find Ajax in the supermarket today so I cleaned the sink with cream cleaner instead. It's sitting in bleach as I type, has 33 minutes left.

I am sitting here in my PJs though. I did get dressed to shoes today and took DS out to buy a new coat. Got so wet that I had to change when we got in. So we're here in our PJs again. Not sure how Flylady would see that one.

I renovated our house last year and it's pretty tidy but it seems huge! I've gone from an apartment to sharing a small house with DH, DSS1 and DSS2 to having a large 5 bed place with three bathrooms in a relatively short time.

The sheer number of windows makes me want to cry and the "special" kitten licks them all - proper licks, pause, looks at me, takes another long lick

I buried my head in the sand while there were builders and decorators but now it's pretty much finished, generally pretty tidy but filthy. I want a cleaner but I marginally want holidays etc more.

Can zones work when you have 15 rooms? Do I just group them and do 1/2 hr instead of 15 minutes?

Great excitement here when the delivery from John Lewis arrived...containing a cleaning caddy and a wall mounted kitchen caddy which I've screwed to the underside of one of the kitchen cupboards eliminating one but of constant clutter

Duh "wall mounted kitchen roll holder". Clearly already obsessed with my caddy...

Good afternoon

I've had a good FLY day. I've moved the daily routines round to suit me, and today I got everything on my (relatively short) list done.
I also got caught in the rain - my jeans and shoes were dripping once I got to work. I had to go without socks, and come home in my work clothes!

I'm feeling very motivated at the moment, so I just hope it lasts.

JustGettingOn and Cristiane - I also use this thread for ideas and motivation. As the days go on, Toffee will add to the babysteps and things will become clearer.

Openyerlugholes I am not looking forward to teenage years with my two dds. I hope you are feeling calmer now.

Progress so far:

Up, shower & dressed to flip flops done
Make bed done
Breakfast done
15 minutes declutter in bedroom done
Put away laundry done
Wash dishcloths & tea towels - to do
Quick clean of bathroom done
Plan day out tomorrow for dd and her friend - cancelled
Exercise for half an hour - to do
Spend 15 minutes helping dd to tidy her bedroom done
Shine the sink done

I'm going to wipe down the hob before tossing the cloths in the washing machine, sort out a messy cupboard in our sitting room and then play for half an hour with dd on the wii - just dance, so that will be my exercise done.

Feeling very positive and motivated at present, and resisting the temptation to slob in front of the tv. :)