Part 2 of: If tidying your house is your New Year's resolution, Flying with us could be the solution

[ToffeeWhirl]

Welcome to Part 2 of the January Fledgling Flyers' thread. There are a lot of newly dedicated Flyers on Part 1 of the thread - I hope they all find their way over here to Part 2. We are following Flylady's system to get our houses in order, whilst ignoring her twee language.

Flylady's routines 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. On this thread, we motivate each other, chat quite a lot and swap tips on coping with housework and mess.

There are three methods of following Flylady's system, 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: your sink. It seems crazy when the mess is piling up everywhere else, but it works.

toffee thank you. It makes such a difference to get messages of support. Thank you. I do have friends in RL but they are all busy with children and work and it is so lovely to get a boost coming on here!

Also - very proud of myself - did a speech on Fri night in front of 90 people and it went really well! The buzz lasted all weekend.

My goodness, Cristiane, I couldn't do a speech in front of three people, let alone 90! . Well done! I'm glad my message cheered you up. I find this thread a source of comfort too - I think we all do.

Swan - I know what you mean about the sleep thing. DS does get tired out by school and also, when he's not at school, he starts to go to bed later and get up later. It is partly that. However, he is so extra sleepy in the morning and, sometimes, during the day that I think it must either be the meds or the effect of being so anxious all the time. Either way, I don't see how he'd cope with school at the moment, so it's just as well he has this week off.

Flying - sorry DD1 is sick . Hope she gets better soon and it doesn't spread.

Managed my 'home blessing' this morning and also did today's mission, so am feeling a little bit smug. Schoolwork with DS1 went well and he now has his best friend here, so he's happy. Collected DS2 and a friend of his and brought them home to play, whereupon DS2 decided to be absolutely obnoxious - sulky, rude to me, refusing to play with the other child, etc . Cue me taking him aside to discuss the importance of being a good host "even if you are tired". He did manage to rediscover his manners before the visit ended (possibly inspired by the imminent removal of computer time ) and commented that he had been 'a little bit of a good host'.

Have just done two shifts of dinners - first for the littlies, then for the older two. The washing up is waiting to be done, but I'm rewarding myself with a little MN moment first.

Tuesday, 31st January - babystep 31 (the last one!) : you just need to keep FLYing!.

Congratulations to all who have made it this far!

Tomorrow is Tuesday, so plan your week. Today's mission is to do a 15-minute hotspot fire drill in the living room.

toffee thank you for leading us through it and the roundups - hugely appreciated

Thank you toffee for leading the way!

I have been absent although I have managed to maintain at least a semblance of flying. DD did have a nasty bout of conjunctivitis and DH was poorly for several days.

Today I knocked the house back into shape, while i was doing thing I was think 'need to remember this for the flying thread' but in fact I've forgotten half o it. What IS amazing is that last night at 18 month add sent the first evening in her cot, she wouldn't lie in it before so we have co slept but I thought it was time to try and in fact she managed until 2 before she came into bed with us. It opens the way to 'normal' options like baby-sitters and going away with a travel cot. Fingers crossed.

So today was my only home day as I work an extra day this week.

Up, dressed, beds made, breakfast and dw unloaded
Put washing away
Deep Cleaned both bathrooms, including the water stained chrome fittings
Dusted all of upstairs
Cleaned three mirrors
Put washing on
Quick food top up shop
Lunch
Baking of cakes and buns
Hung washing out
(messy play for DD)
Mopped kitchen floor

I too want to add my thanks to Toffee - especially for letting me rabbit on about RL!

As well as the basics, today I have:

• Planned this weeks menu with DD - which includes home made pizza tomorrow! - and done the shopping
• Load of washing done and hung up
• Bin out
• Recycling sorted
• Hoovered all through downstairs - though as hadn't realised hoovering was today's mission I shall do the edges/under the sofas tomorrow (both in living and dining room)
• Did some sewing with iPod blaring

DH has been quite jokey lately about my new Domestic Goddess tendencies! I brought to his attention that he went to bed on Sat leaving a plate, a glass and 2 empty beer cans on the coffee table. He replied that he would try to make more of an effort and did clear up after himself on Sun night!

I also mentioned that maybe the rule should be that if you cook you need to wash as well - as I have to spend AGES washing every single pot we have when he's been in the kitchen - but I think that might be a work in progress especially as when I told him I'd washed the frying pan he'd used at lunch the reply was that I didn't need to have done that as - and I quote - "it only had eggs cooked in it and it wasn't that dirty and could have been left". As we have fried eggs once in a blue moon he soon realised this was not the brightest thing to say!

He was given 3 tasks to do at the weekend and managed 2 (both involved him tidying stuff of his away) but as I reminded him we were due to go out 5 minutes after he mentioned he was about to start the 3rd that got left!

My DH is getting worried about me as I'm starting to pick up stuff without moaning
I'm so into this (without having really started ) that I've bought the blooming book. Simply as an aid to this thread.
I was religious in getting DS into a routine via a book and it worked a dream for me. So I must need that type of support / instruction. So I shall read that at lunch times as well as this thread

Morning, Just wanted to say thanks to Toffee and Flying I haven't been on here all the time but they have been supportive when I have.
I will try and join the new thread but might also stick with the thread I'm on (the pointy sticks thread). We are also doing baby steps on that thread too.

The new thread for February is here. You'd all be very welcome to join us.

Another one here to say thank you for the guidance and motivation.

Still out for the count here, (will teach me for saying it?s normally shorter) pretty much flat on back trying to create alternative routines for this situation, but have pretty much caught son up on one subject he was letting slide, created more lesson plans to try and help him overcome specific problems that are holding him up, mended two skirts and a pair of boots, and managed to one handedly iron needed bits, but the mess is piling up and there?s little I can do about it.

I?m considering starting again and going back round the babysteps in Feb, but being more ready to and realistic about instituting alternative routine as I?ve done as much mithering and fretting as achieving anything, and am back to feeling I need to catch up rather than anything good.

Thanks everyone for the flowers and thank yous. It has been a pleasure to lead the thread this month and to get to know all the new Flyers. Posting the babysteps and missions has also been a very good way of reminding myself of what I'm meant to be doing and the state of my house has definitely improved this month.

Hope to see you all on Linzer's February thread.

Here's some and to keep you all going in the meantime.

Mmmmmmnn

mmmmmm yummy

Thank you Toffee and Flying

Thank you toffee, I can't tell you what a profound difference this thread has made x

Glad you enjoyed the biscuits, thewafflerand slowburner. Did you wash up and shine the sink afterwards?

Thanks, Membership and Cristiane and everyone else who has thanked me further up the thread. It really has been a pleasure getting to know you all and sharing the trials of housework and life in general.

Hope to see you all on the new thread.