Fledglings “March” 31 steps away from CHAOS and mess towards domestic success...

[sanguinechompa]

... well, a shiny sink at least!!

Welcome to the March 2012 Fledgling Flyers thread. Park your mops, buckets and microfibre cloths here!!

A huge "thank you" to Linzer for steering us all through February - not a small achievement Linzer considering your school run/teaching commitments and with your dh travelling so frequently.

If you're house is a mess and you are strugging with C.H.A.O.S. (can't have anyone over syndrome) and S.T.U.F.F. (something that undermines family fun) then this is the thread where we (loosely) follow the step-by-step Flylady housekeeping system (in our own, unique, relaxed style) with lots of chat, whinging (in my case anyway ) and support along the way.

We advise not signing up to receive the Flylady e-mails as you will be inundated! All the information you need will be linked here on a daily basis.

From the first of the month, we will be following Flylady's tips on restoring order to our homes, and as we are all at different stages we will be using one of the following methods:

Here you can, for one month:

• repeat or start baby steps

• repeat baby steps + do 15 mins a day decluttering in the current zone

• reinforce babysteps and do daily missions if you have finished decluttering.

More info here and here!

All long-standing members, intermittent returnees, lurkers and newcomers welcome!!

OK lovely fledglings, here we go again ... good luck and more power to your wings elbows ...

Baby-step number one for 1st March 2012 is here SHINE YOUR SINK (scroll down a bit for first step)

If you have never done this before, read here

Tomorrow we will be starting again in Zone One ie The Entrance, Front Porch and Dining Room.

If you want to know more about zones, read this!

You can find tomorrow's daily mission here 15 mins of tidying up shoes and coats and general mess in the your hall/entrance area

Thursdays are designated "errand day" in Fat Fairy land, more info here

The habit for March is a controversial one here although Bitchy and I are wierd faithful adherents

Have a look around the Flylady site if you have any questions (or don't hesitate to ask here). Pages such as this one should prove helpful.

Hope that is not all too confusing!! Remember: you don't have to understand the whole system all at once at the start. Everything will become clear as you follow the baby-steps. The only thing you have to really remember for tomorrow is shining your sink, possibly doing 15 mins decluttering in the current zone and if you have already done that, the daily mission + errands.

Oh and btw, it is always good to remember that we are NOT aiming for perfection. We are just building up to doing the daily routines: small step by small step.

I promise that I've made it sound a lot more complicated than it really is!!

Here's to a productive March Good luck one and all !!!

A warm welcome back to MissBennett (If it's any consolation, procrastination is my middle name )

I also remember you MissB but fuck knows what name i used to be when you were here last.

I am the sweary one that name changes a lot if it is any help?

I've just worked out what it is that we all have in common on this thread. We all share the same middle name.

Sorry Linzer I am

Bitchy let me take you back to Sept 2011 ...

When MrsWoodentop inadvertently created a new verb
to nesbit = to intend to do something but not quite get around to it
Bit friendlier/less guilt-inducting than plain procrastination ... accompanied by a nice cup of coffee and a couple of Bourbons ...

Bitchy Apologies for causing confusion - it was just that MissB and SC said that procrastination was their middle name, I almost wrote exactly the same thing and WhoKnows admitted that she is also a bit of a procrastinator. Although I think that, on reflection, I do prefer nesbit (especially as there are biscuits involved).

I'm very impressed by your memory, SC - wasn't that MrsWoodentop's only post on this thread? I hope we didn't scare her away by our adoption of her autocorrected word!

Even more worryingly SC, you also remembered the exact month. Or did you search for it?

hello [waves feebly] Grot rules here! I think I may have given up. I need a trumpet blast if not a lion.
MissB I remember you, I think I was just joining as you were departing.

God I think you are going to have to pm me it

In my defense I have been busier then planned today. Drunk more coffee then planned and went to bed after offering people their first this morning. Yeah I know I wasnt going to admit to breaking the early bedtime thingy again

x-posts because i forgot to hit post

I am multi-tasking with the pile of odd socks.

I am ignoring the fact that i have done nothing as it is the last day of a spectacularly unsuccessful month and am restarting......tomorrow.

Welcome back missb. i certainly remember you and also why rl took over. Hope you have managed ok throughout what must have been a difficult time.

I too am a little freaked out by sc's memory. She is way too scary.

Now, despite her royal bitchyness telling me I am not allowed, I am going to the naughty corner to drink wine because I am a rebel me plus sc said i could have wine and she's the boss, so ner.

Bloody hell! Its not even 1st MArch yet and I am confused.

I have lots to do tomorrow, mostly involving me and getting nails done and hair appointment, then parents evening and something else which I have forgotten but my phone will remind me of later/tomorrow morning.

I wont be in the Dining Room tomorrow as decorator still finishing up downstairs, but once he is done my poor kitchen floor and all downstairs will need a good scrub. There is paint dust everywhere and as the dogs are in the kitchen permanently at the moment I cant wash the floor properly.

But, my downstairs will be lovely and fresh and people can come into my house whenever they jolly well please!

So my mission for March is to keep it that way now.

How nice to be remembered - gives me warm fuzzy feelings all over :) And how encouraging to see so many familiar faces - lovely to know that I'm not the only one to need ongoing support and encouragement with this household management lark!

Am excited that tomorrow is hall day - I can cope with that as it's not too big. And my brother mended my hoover so I can really make an impact Oh, it's sad what pleases me these days! Though I'm not sure about the monthly habit - I seem to be more productive in my pyjamas . Anyway, I've done the washing up so my sink is in good order, if not sparkling yet!

I'm signing back in for March having feebly failed to flutter through February (guess who has been doing alliterations with small children this evening? :))

JWIM - welcome to the mad house most supportive thread on MN. You do realise that there is more chat than Flying on here at times don't you?

MissB - welcome back. I definitely remember you - I'm the one who lives down the road!
I'm glad that things are settling down although I imagine it has been a very difficult time.

A HUGE thank you to Linzer for leading us through February, even if I was rubbish, and another to SC for taking on March.

My plan for March is to carry on where I left off in January and concentrate on decluttering. It took me 2 years on here to actually get round to it (inspired by Whoknows) but it made a difference to both the house and my frustration levels. Not sure what happened in February, RL possibly!
So I am starting tomorrow by being at school most of the day Icing Gruffalo cakes with children for World Book Day in the morning (none of this dressing-up lark this year), Family learning literacy course with DD in the afternoon then back in the evening for a school assoc meeting. I may have to find something very small to declutter!

See you all in the morning :)

Right March lets start this how we mean to go on:

Ta da:
Apple tray bake
Carrot cake
carrot fairy cakes
put all cakes in bags ready for freezer
Cut up tray bake and put into the freezer
several loads of washing
fold towels and bedding
load and run the dw
wash up a draining board worth of stuff that can't go into the dw
put recyclables into sink to soak
wipe down the bench

Right i think my bed is most definitely calling me. sink will have to wait until the washing up is finished tomo.

Morning! I love March. Nights getting lighter, days getting warmer and fluffy little lambs. Lovely.

Starting the way i mean to go on this month. To do list today:-

Washing on
Sink shined
General tidy
Morning routine
Evening routine

Dd at docs this morning. She's got pre-school booster jabs which will be fun. Also seeing a doctor as she keeps randomly throwing up in the middle of the night, just once.

Better get cracking.

[Clears away empties from naughty corner]

Yes to fluffy lambs and daffodils!!!

Morning all!! Hope you are all raring to go!! It's day one again - I think lots of us have had pretty horrible starts to the year so let's put that all behind us and start motoring in March. We CAN do it - even if it's just 15 min step by 15 min step ....

Way to go Bitchy I'm right behind you!!

Ellie hope docs gets to the bottom of random vomiting - not at all pleasant for your dd (or your yourself in middle of night) - does she drink milk last thing - could it be an allergy maybe or reflux?

Feetheart I have also naughtily neglected all notions of neatness 'n' necessary nettoyage. (I love an alliteration of a morning I do....!!! )
V. good point about it taking two years to start decluttering etc. Think it is good to bear in mind that our houses took a while to get in to their current states and turning it around won't be instantaneous (definitely not in my case anyway!!). But it's all about "eating the elephant", bite by bite, day after day ....

Good luck with your hall MissB

Jax please don't let our strange ramblings chat put you off ...and I may as well apologise now in advance for all my spelling mistakes and terrible howlers too (ie inducting not inducing????) Used to be in the publishing trade believe it or not, but now can't see my own mistakes for toffee! Sympathies with the post-decorative clear up !! Enjoy your pampering session today - sounds as if you deserve it!

Linzer I admit to doing a 'Nesbit' search My memory is appalling!!!

To do:
morning routine inc dw, s&s
clean up kitchen
sort washing
start washing
urgent post-funeral correspondence
quick supermarket shop
make soup & supper
one hour tidy sitting room & playroom
one hour tidying bedroom
personal grooming
tennis run
French study
Day 1 of diet

Have a good one everybody!!!!

oops

forgot to add to 'to do' list:
baby step number one
daily mission (my hall is a disgrace)

Good luck everyone

sc allergy or reflux is what i am thinking too. It is clearly not a virus as such. She is brilliant at making it to the toilet though, after the first few episodes and cleaning sheets in the middle of the night i trained her. Interesting what you say about milk. I had discounted it as she has cereal every morning with no incident. She normally goes to bed with a beaker of water but every now and then she has milk. Maybe there is a link? Hopefully docs will have some ideas.

Hello. I'm new to this thread, although not to Fly Lady. I had a breakdown in January, became a single mum again and it's in part related to my terrible health. Last time I struggled, FLYing gave me back my sanity and made me on the whole a much happier person. So I'm starting again, baby steps, and hopefully I'll be feeling a whole lot stronger soon. :o

Good Morning everybody. I'm still here, but really no opportunities to post at the moment. Must concentrate on babysteps and decluttering this month, not sure I'm ever going to move beyond that. Anyway just wanted to offer to Linzer for February. And thank you SC for offering to lead us through March . Big waves to everyone else, and sorry for not posting much.

Thank you for the welcome. Another ?wierd one here as I too 'dress to shoes' but as I have an early school run and have never done it in my PJs!

Have shined sink.

Today - washing, drying, handwashing and on the line drying to make the most of the lovely spring day emerging from the mist. I also have 3 hours work to do that I have been procrastinating over for 2 days - time to change that habit.

Grownup that sounds like a difficult few months for you. I hope that flying helps you back to a calmer and happier self.

SC thank you for posting links etc.

Thank you JWIM

It's been tough, but I am coming out the other side of it and I am definitely feeling better now.

Today I am making freezer soup, mostly red lentils, sliced peppers, carrots and stock, to put away for the weekend lunches and for snacking in March. Yesterday I did two lasagnes along with the spag bol for dinner, plus changed some into a very beany chilli, enough for two meals too. So even though I only cooked once yesterday, I got five meals out of it. I have my pasta sauces in the freezer too, some ready to go rosemary roasties and twenty potato scones. All made as I cook, so no real extra effort.

So my freezer is decluttered and organised at the moment. LOL.

Morning all,

Must dash but just wanted to say hello. These lighter, warmer mornings are great I am getting up earlier and my morning routines are getting back into place (they had slipped over winter).

Welcome to Grownup - sorry you've had such a difficult time recently but glad you've found Flylady useful. I haven't had any major crises but this thread gets me through all sorts of low days and miserable moments and I think has improved my self esteem (as well as my house).