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.

I am on a mission today
I have done all morning routine stuff.
All this week's missions- hall and stairs.
I have tidied my wardrobe and have 3 bags for charity shop.
I have dusted and tidied dining room, but not decluttered anything!
I have finished putting away Christmas stuff, DH just needs to put it back in the loft.

All of the above is a result if downloading Homeroutines app THANK YOU to whoever recommended it! I have edited it to fit my house and the only (minor) problem is that it isn't syncing properly. But that really is minor.
BTW how do you "air pillows"???

todo
decluttering dd room 15 mins
sink 15 mins
laundry 15 mins

You lot are amazing. Your lists make me swoon with admiration.

Morning routine completed apart from 15 mins declutter and the hot spots. I refuse to swish bathrooms that are shortly to be chucked in a skip. Dinner is ready to go, sink is shiny. AND my children are still alive. So I'm trying to pat myself on the back and say well done me, not oh my god the chaos the chaos! Breathe...

This pm I will: search forbeautiful bathroom taps online, menu plan, do supermarket order for asap, (we're starving), sweep and mop crunchy kitchen floor, and remove dog's trail of destruction from walls of the hall. And even keep my children alive

Good day here, maintaining shiny sink and also am finding that I am getting into a routine with dw loading and unloading before bed then when I get up. I spent 15 mins sorting through the 2 boxes of charity shop / stuff to sell on ebay, and have taken charity bits to shop so hallway looking clearer.
Now going to bake some scones with the DC, but slightly regretting it as I have never been a tidy cook!
Thanks again to all experienced flyers and also to everyone who contributes as it is motivating and great to pick up tips etc.

Phew, I'm glad I've been busy Flying today, otherwise I would feel very guilty after reading all your lists. It's great that so many of you are seeing good results already and starting to get into new routines.

My 'ta da' list so far today:

Get ready for school routine
School run
Morning routine - unload d/w; put washing on; swish and swipe; empty kitchen bin; reload d/w with b/fast stuff
Mission - tidied hall (not as thoroughly as you though, dizzyday )
Errands - dry cleaners, library, school stationary for DS1, bank. Also bought all next year's Xmas cards in a sale for just under £5 .
De-Christmas the house
Put tree outside awaiting collection on Saturday
Put two boxes of decorations plus next-year's cards upstairs in loft bedroom
Hoovered up all the Xmas tree needles in the dining room
Polished the table that the tree was on
Polished brass door handles in house and letterbox and knocker on front door
Put away laundry

Still to do:

School run delegated to DH
Ironing
What's for dinner? Tuna and tomato pasta
Put away more laundry
Put d/w on
DC's bedtimes
Before-bed routine
Bed at decent hour

BBL with babysteps and mission for tomorrow.

I've had a couple of busy days of unexpected work, so Flying has been minimal. I've managed the morning routines, and yesterday was able to invite my friends and their children here when our usual afternoon meeting place cancelled.

Tomorrow I want to get a few extras done. The bathroom requires more than a swish and swipe

Sorry I haven't read back over the last two days. I may catch up tonight....

Yay I've done most of my list

Declutter utility done - well I did a lot longer than 15 mins but there's still a little way to go (sorting ironing and trying to pair up socks in a sick graveyard!!
Sweep front porch done (but you Can't tell as its so windy!)
Empty dw done
Make dr apt Err not yet
Make optician apt not yet
call ds school as I'm not happy with a couple of things there - I really don't want to make the call though! done
Chuck food in slow cooker for tonight done
plus I've made mash and veg for tonight, kept sink shiny and I'm shining utility sink to see if I can make a silk purse out of a sows ear.
Thanks to whoever suggested listening to an audio book, it helped the decluttering monotony.
Some of you are really putting me to shame, well done those of you on a real mission!

Right, am back from school.

Earlier I removed the box/wicker basket from the arm of the sofa and emptied it (it was full of junk). Also sorted out some books into keep, ask mum if she wants them and charity. Found a place for Delia, Jamie Oliver and friends in a kitchen cupboard. Not buying any feckin cookery books this year until I have cooked something from them all.

Dinner is on.

About to start dechristmassing...

Experienced 'home blessers'

My Henry vacuum cleaner STINKS. Really stinks. What can i do? I've changed bag, checked hose, nothing will help. I even vacuumed up some bicarb! But nothing.

Can you help me?

I've decided I need to stop procrastinating and get myself upstairs and do the bathroom now

Cristiane _ Ihave a henry too. I love it (but it smells of christmas tree at the moment as I haven't changed the bag since hoovering up all the needles on the floor) Can you wash the filter? Or is there something stuck to the inside of the hose? I hoover up a cotton wool ball with a few drops of essential oil on it when I want nice smelling hoover, but if yours smells you need to find the source rather than mask it. Sorry I have no other ideas....

Can you febreze the filter? And pop in a hoover bag freshner? Would also consider chucking hot soapy water through the hose and pipes.

Makes me really happy to see all those starting out flying seeing results already. Is brilliant!

It has been going on for a couple of months. I am not sure what to do. It smells like something dead... But apart from the bag and the hose, there is nowhere to hide?!

Almost looking forward to tidying the decs away tonight and making house fresh. Thanks all you Flyers!

I started a wee tradition last year - I bought my two DDs a decoration for tree, and when packed away I wrote them a card and put some photos in, the card just said what they were like, what they enjoyed, described our Christmas etc. I had forgotten but it was a lovely surprise when we got the decorations out this year and found and read the cards and put the decs on the tree. So this year have done the same thing and hope I can continue and when they leave home in 20 years time (hopeful/ naive) they can take their box of decorations and cards and photos with them... [soppy old mum emoticon]

Christiane that's such a lovely Christmas tradition! It's made me go all soppy! I would second the idea of using essential oil in your smelly Henry. After pulling it apart to disinfect all the insides...!
I need to de Christmas tonight and tomorrow. I dread putting all the decs away and chucking out the tree as it never seems to fit back in them car to go to be recycled without chopping it up

I have run out of motivation.

My house looks much better apart from the BIG hotspots : study! conservatory! Spare bedroom! all roos we don't have to use regulalrly and so become dumping grounds.

I haven't got the energey to start anymore today ...tomorrow is another day!

Day 5 babysteps here. Havent managed to do anything to move forward as much visiting today.

Christiane what a lovely tradition.:)
I used to have an old type (twin motor) Henry with a cloth bag and filter. If anything wet/damp got in they started to smell. (disgustingly) I used to wash with Ariel bio and dry thoroughly to restore to normal but not sure if yours is the same set up.

Love that Christiane . This year I removed all the home made decs from the tree (and put them up in kids room), the tree was almost bare . Need new decs next year.

Done:
Laundry
banking
declutter spare room - stage 1.

We are planning to move DS into his own room (currently the spare room) which is tiny. Massive decluteering to be done!!

Hi swan hoped you were still around. Job is ok, still waiting to see how much on call and weekend work I will be doing . Need to keep it if possible though. Hope your 3 are ok.

Good evening.
Morning routine was rushed this morning due to a trip to the city. Hugely exciting for the children, trip on the train and ride on the esculator ( i kid you not)

Much excitment in TK Max when i found E clothes! I bought a generalpurpose 1.99 and a bathroom pack 5.99.

This afternoon i detailed cleaned the bathroom 20 mins.

removed the old towels ( new christmas towels) same with bath toys. 5 mins
New ecloth pad fom bathroom pack is fabulous, very pleased with it. The polishing cloth was lovely for glass and chrome. I think i will still use my old rubber squeege for the shower.

This evening usual routine plus washing minus floors but also change of master bed.

Three days left to complete the zone so pleased so far.

I have a henry i think that you can buy a new filter. I dont see what else would be causing it.
Agree with above i would wash out the tubes in the shower and soak in the bath over night. Have a good scrub of the seals maybe.
Good luck.

Thanks for all the tips on the smelly Henry and DH is going to try to wash the filter, but it says on the label on the filter that you shouldn't wash it

So maybe we should buy one as you say Molly

V annoying I have an ultra bad tum (must have caught it from dd2) and I can't face cooking my carefully planned meal for tonight! Just plain boiled potatoes for me and bed. Humph.

Will be back on form tomorrow!

I am so impressed at all you lot have achieved today - amazing. It's very motivating.

I have a smelly Henry from time to time but we use re-usable bags, a good wash in the washer usually sorts it.

Just popping in didnt post yesterday as i was so busy and got loads done. Not got too much done today i did think as had DD2 at home but my home routines app says ive compleated 19 tasks so im happy with that lol. Off to go swish round the kitchen and shine the sink before i get in the bath and have an early night.
x

What does Flylady do when she's ill? I've got a stinking cold now (I thought the sneezing was down to the dust).

Shining the feckin sink is the last thing on my mind. Grrrr.

Does anyone know if the HomeRoutine app can be set to sync between 2 different iPhones? DH is keen to help, but usually had to be told what to do!

I have had a good day -

Morning:
Unload dishwasher
Put washing on
Put yesterday's dry washing away
Swept kitchen
Swished and swiped bathroom
De-cluttered overflow bathroom shelves

Evening:
De-Christmassed the house
Made packed lunches
Shined sink (not very thoroughly but it's already looking pretty clean!)

On the downside, I haven't actually got much work done as been so preoccupied with making the house tidy

So today I've done pretty well, dressed to shoes, run, walked dogs, tidied up breakfast things, done about 4 loads of washing, dried & sorted, took dog to vet with smelly ear problem, (dog, not vet), dropped a whole heap of stuff at thrift store on way back and knocked off a couple of small to-do's.

So then I set my timer for 15 minutes, took all the crap sports equipment, shoes, coats etc out of the hall cupboard and sorted it into chuck/donate/keep. put 2 boxes of videos and cd's back in cupboard as 'too difficult to deal with today' and not wanting to be sidetracked. Hoover & dusted inside of cupboard. Timer went off mid-hoover so I am now sat on my PC with the kettle on and the hall covered in crap.

Not sure I've quite got the hang of this flying thing yet

have shined my sink
done 2 loads of washing & drying
got all stuff ready for tomorrow morning inc. laying out kids clothes
Have been lovely all day (ish!)
Need an early night, flying is tiring, but I do feel much better about things,
Night all xx