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.

Poor cristiane . You will be over it soon too.

Not feeling in the zone this week. Got to work which is messing up my plans to zone clean.

Tada

Up, showered and dressed
Swish and swiped upstairs bathroom
Made bed and tidied bedroom
Dw emptied and refilled
Kitchen tidied

To do

Hoover
Dust
Wipe floors
Swish and swipe downstairs bathroom
Go to office

To be at work by half eleven so better get a move on. Have a good day everyone.

Cristiane Sorry you're feeling so ill, I had the same thing at new year, it's awful. Get well soon.

mummynic So so sorry about your poor dog thinking of you x

First day back at work today after a lovely long christmas break so I've been a bit worried about how I will keep up with flylady, however DS had an epic sleep last night so I was dressed with the bed made and a clothes wash on by the time we woke him up. Sigh, nice to not be in a panic but why was he waking at 5am all the time I could have had a lie in?! Anyway to keep myself motivated I've bought some fancy new ecloths and I actually feel on top of everything and not paniced about it which is making a huge difference. Even went out last night and when I returned DH had finished the last bit of washing up and left a clean sink! Miracle! :) Just need to do my hotspot, sink and 15 min blitz tonight and hopefully thats it?!

Thank you for yesterdays round up toffee. I thought Wednesdays was planning day so I'd better get planning!

Morning routine done. yay
wiped kitchen doors down yesterday and cleaned light fittings and top of kitchen cupboard which hadn't been done since the kitchen was refitted! yrs ago but now they're cleaner than ever before!

Hi all, thanks for the tips everyone, it all helps to motivate me. Checking the thread is one of the first things on my morning routine list so I get a star just for signing in
Sticking well to the shiny sinks, getting dressed first thing and clearing hotspots. Never did get round to the 5-min room rescue yesterday so off to do it now....in our study which is AWFUL. DH usually works from home and I can't get in there during the day but he's gone off to London today so.... And then I'll do the 15min thing.

Been to the library this morning and made tonight's tea so just need to get in with FLYing!!

Better sleep from DD2 last night hooray! But last night I went to a Zumba class, first time in ages, and I'm aching everywhere today!!!

Thanks Toffee for the hotspots and room rescue explanation. So with today's babystep we do them for 15 minutes? I'm really sorry that I'm not getting this all first time.

For the first time last night DH commented on what a difference there is with the house which made me feel really pleased that I must be achieving something at last. He is super neat and organised, and I'm not. Opposites must attract or something.

Hello!

Joining in here for the first time (although have been on MN years under different names and have done the Flylady thing before 3 times).

I feel READY to get organised and tidy now. I think that was the problem before, that I wasn't really ready to just grow up and sort it all out!

This time around, I haven't been doing Flylady until today (and even then, haven't started yet, not even dressed but we were having family round at Xmas for the first time so I HAD to declutter, and I'm pleased to say our place is still looking pretty good 2 weeks later

I came here via the Organised thread in AIBU (which is a BRILLIANT thread). I received my first Organised Mum Family Life Book today and have been planning in it all day, to get a new system in place. I am the most disorganised, late, untidy, lazy, sit-on-my-arse person in the world. Ever. But I'm bloody well going to CHANGE this year!

To Do list for today:

Get dressed
Laundry
Hang laundry to dry
Put other dry laundry away
2 min hot spot (coffee table)
Make beds
15 min declutter (kitchen drawers)
5 min room rescue (DDs room)
Swish bathroom
Do coursework & photos
Wash up
Dry and put away dishes
Clean kitchen surfaces
Clean kitchen cupboard doors
Sweep kitchen floor
Put rubbish out
2 min hot spot (top of fridge)
Get stuff together for tax return.

Right then...stereo up loud and off I go! < cracks whip >

yoozaname you're a head already! it's planning day :)

shouldbeelswhere - I know, good timing

Sitting down for 5 mins now.

Get dressed and showered
Laundry
Hang laundry to dry
Put other dry laundry away
2 min hot spot (coffee table)
Make beds
15 min declutter (kitchen drawers)
5 min room rescue (DDs room)
Swish bathroom
Do coursework & photos
Wash up
Dry and put away dishes
Clean kitchen surfaces
Clean kitchen cupboard doors
Sweep kitchen floor
Put rubbish out
2 min hot spot (top of fridge)
Get stuff together for tax return.

Not bad for 45 mins!

Hi all .

Ds back to school and me back to work.

To do:
extra child for tea
laundry
DW
banking
Tel Dad
menu plan

BB after that lot

Just popping in quickly to see how everyone is. No time for PMs right now, except to say that Fleebee - hotspots are 2minutes, room rescues are 5 minutes. The babysteps are not timed. The 15-minute thingy is for decluttering and any other job that you don't want to do, like ironing. It's just a useful motivational tool. Flylady says, "You can do anything for 15 minutes".

Proud of my 'ta da' list today:

Get ready for school routine done and on time
Friend here for tea done
Morning routine - empty dw, reload dw, washing on (x2), tumbledry, shine sink, empty kitchen bin, swish and swipe in bathroom, change towel and loo roll done
Finish house bleugh - hoover whole house (15 mins), mop floors, empty bins, room rescues x 4, hotspots done

Oops - dinner ready. Back later.

Ok, back again. Ta da list, continued:

Made beds, changed sheets on DS2's bed, wiped kitchen surfaces
Found some lost stuff that DH had hidden in the loft and brought it out again (that's anti decluttering, isn't it? )
School run
Walked into town to buy birthday present
Washed up after dinner (DH cooked)
Bathtimes
Laid clothes out for tomorrow
Put socks in shoes

Even DH noticed that the house was looking tidier when I'd finished (amazing how often he doesn't notice ).

Just off to read DS2 a bedtime story, so will quickly post links first:

Wednesday, 11th January - babystep 11: add an inspirational page to your control journal. Can't say I've ever done this one.

Wednesday's mission is to declutter your fridge.

The daily reminders are here.

Evening all! Everyone is doing so well, this is such a great thread

Still baby-stepping here with 2 mins declutters and whatever else fits in with the day. I find I'm more inclined to fit in little jobs when previously I would have MNed procrastinated. Still a long, long way to go but I am feeling less stressed and more in control. DH has noticed too and has been trying to help.

to everyone for posting, especially Toffee for making it all make sense.

Miserable day. Velcro toddler for twelve house straight was wearing, I've been more disorganised today than I have been for weeks. I left to do the food shop, returned for her meds, then had to come back for the list, then had to come back for my phone, each time I got a few miles from home. Most frustrating. Then after I did the shop my £8 voucher was declined due to it being one day out of date, so so annoying, with that I would have got ten days worth of meals for £50. Sigh.

So,
Up and dressed
Dw emptied
Shined sink
Breakfast
Toddler dressed
Beds made
En suite and family bathroom swished and swiped
Nursery clothes x3 days laid out
Work clothes laid out
Washing put away
Nursery bag packed
Work bag packed to do
Food shop done (with a few false starts)
Chicken casserole, beef stew and lamb tagine cooked and in freezer
Shined sink again (I am not a neat cook)
Washing on
Dw loaded to go on overnight

Noticed on the way out of the shower this evening that DH had laid out his clothes.....and since I put some wipes on the toilet cistern the annoying pee stains are being dealt with by the creator. Success.

Slow burner poor you, ive done that...finished a shop once bagged it all up, no purse! Children needed feeding etc etc. Might have cried that day:-)

Usual morning and evening routine, sorted and decluttered all arts and crafts childrens things today 30 mins.
A whole morning of painting,thank you cards etc so big afternoon clean up.

Right, was MIA today as my new study materials arrived (whimper).

The vases in this house are hotspots. So, I've emptied them all and put the empty vases in the loft. DH is a bit but I pointed out it has been a long time since there were any flowers in any of them.

Cleaned out the cupboard under the sink, it was FULL of plastic bags. Put them in the recycling and not 5 minutes later I discovered I needed a fecking plastic bag.

Have got the clothes ready for the morning, woo-hoo.

Tomorrow's task for me is to apply for a job I've seen. I must do this instead of telling myself there's no point, there's too much competition blah blah blah.

I now have two empty laundry bins and laundered sofa covers. Mind you, tomorrow is bedding day here so washing will prolly build up again. You know what I need? Two machines.

HeyNonny had a stressful day yesterday and, as a result, followed Flylady's advice to go to bed at a decent time. And she has done tomorrow's fridge mission already!

RecursiveMoon enjoys having a nose at our lists. She is going to start menu planning.

Angelswings admits that getting dressed first thing does make a difference. She is leading us all astray with talk of a Lakeland steam mop (I am on a strict financial budget this month and mustn't be tempted!).

Perish has achieved loads in spite of a clingy baby. The Flylady routines are paying off and she is enjoying that feeling that everything doesn't have to get done in a day.

Dalrymps is understandably reluctant to venture into the spidery loft (you need [http://spiderex.co.uk/ Spiderex]].

Valium had a good start to her working week, bought herself some fancy e-cloths and found her DH shining her sink .

shouldbe cleaned the tops of her kitchen cupboards for the first time since her kitchen was fitted (I don't like to ask how long ago... ).

Libby is sticking to the routines and finding this thread very motivating .

FleeBee had proper sleep last night, but aches from zumba. Her tidier house has been noticed by her DH.

Yooza joined us from the inspiring organizing thread with an impressive list. She has just received her Organized Mum Life Book (I love Organized Mum stuff - I have their calendar, their budget book and their shopping-list book).

Scatty popped in with a list and said she'd be back later, but, hopefully, is going to bed at a decent time instead.

Lalou gave me flowers (thank you! . Had some in RL too today, so I'm doing well!). She feels a lot less stressed, thanks to the routines, and her DH has also noticed her tidier house.

slowburner achieved everything on her list in spite of a velcro toddler . PITA about the voucher. By the way, I love the way your DH is absorbing your new habits too (why doesn't mine ?).

Mollymoo had a busy day, but still fitted in her Flying routines.

Determined to go to bed at a decent hour myself tonight, as I went far too late last night and have suffered for it today. So will say goodnight to you all and see you tomorrow.

Changebags - you sneaked in whilst I was posting! Glad to see you've had a productive day. Good luck with the job application tomorrow. And well done with all your decluttering today and on getting your clothes laid out for tomorrow.

changebags what are you studying?

toffee thanks for roundup. I hope to be back on form soon, have a good early night!

Sorry I bottled out on you all yesterday. I decided to grab a notepad (to use as this Journal thing), started reading the website and writing down what I'm supposed to do all day and just got overwhelmed. What with morning, afternoon and bedtime routines, never mind 2 min, 5 min and 15 min tasks, daily missions, and, and, and ........

I know I'm a slovernly cow and need help getting a cleaning schedule organised but I don't want my days to be full of cleaning - I'd rather live in chaos . And I'm doing so much washing up my hands are all dry and sore .

I've done the daily routines (both today and yesterday) - swish & swipe, shiny sink, clothes out, dinner sorted etc - and today wiped down all the kitchen cabinet fronts (as per the daily mission) but then felt constrained as I knew the inside of the cupboards could do with a wash out/organise but of course that's not to do today - but am not sure when I'm supposed to do that!

I did manage to book some train tickets for going away this weekend, applied online for DD's junior school for next year and got a little bit of sewing done (which felt amazing as I haven't done any since before Xmas)

Cristiane

I'm studying Physics at the moment with the Open University. From next week I'll also be studying Maths (am bonkers)

I have been in the loft lots over the past few days and I can confirm that it is not spidery at all. Not even a whisp of a web.

Oh I also need to add that our stairs used to be a health hazard. All the stuff that needed to upstairs ended up there at the bottom. Plus any mail that needed to be dealt with and random items. A couple of years ago DH actually slipped on something on the stairs when he was carrying DS

The worst and most disgusting thing we used to do was toss the nappies onto the triangular step at the top to be brought down to the bin on our way. But, we'd just end up with a huge pile of festering nappies at the top of the stairs.

I can confirm that the stairs have been clutter-free for 10 days. I also have an in-tray now for the mail.

Morning and evening routine complete, hotspots cleared and 15 mins in kitchen consisted of thoroughly cleaning floors, skirting boards and window cills. Had a VERY busy today including a house inspection (which I passed with flying colours ) so very happy that I'm still going to bed with a shiny sink downstairs

Difficult day, but have managed everything, if a little late.

If it helps I have only just put ds' uniform in the tumble dryer. Total laundry fail. And I didn't even realise until after i collected all the washing cos i was going to skip laying it out for him. Thank goodness I decided to do a load of laundry other wise filthy child how do boys manage it would be going in to school.

So we all have days of "oh arses" on a plus note been rather busy and done a fair bit. However, will be tired tomo. So it is a win/lose situation.

dizzyneutrogena norwegian formula handcream will sort sore hands.pop it on befor bed