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!!

well, I am staring at complete and utter grot
Luckily I have to go out to clinic appt this morning so can do very little.

And library work this afternoon.

Ds1 has finally gone back to school (he was horrid yesterday so I think he wanted to be there really And tomorrow he is going on a school trip to Rome for 4 days, very exciting despite sprained wrist hitch.

So I need
to pick up referral letter for clinic
tube journey to clinic, and back
library duties afternoon
buy ds1 a money belt
iron his trousers and shirts for packing tonight
defrost lamb (sorry fluffy)
force dd to do some music practice this evening or things will slide completely

otherwise everything is optional - I feel as always completely knackered and knowing there is a reason for it makes me slightly want to give up completely

welcome to newbies, and MissB thinking of your namesake always brightens my day, and reminds me of my A-levels/20's...

SC I know how conscientious you are, and I hope you are not feeling the pressure of replying to so many kind letters - I'm sure people are touched just to receive a note. Tennis run sound ominous! Hope you are merely dropping off child. Alliteration [sighs] remembering Gawain and Green Knight or however you spell it in Middle English.

Morning! Wow, grownup, am impressed with your freezer!

Right, I am dressed (to slippers though) and have had a coffee. Now I must:

• finish work that is already overdue
• make 3 phonecalls related to above work
• ring bank
• type up some stuff for my brother
• mission
• minor shopping
• finish book (50 pages to go and at exciting point :) )

It is all doable but do I do the jobs first and reward myself with the book at the end, or finish the book first so I can concentrate on everything else? You see, I told you, I have turned procrastination (or nesbiting!!) into an art form

reward yourself with the book at end missb
and on that note, I am doing the washing up before I go out. Definitely.

Welcome to the thread, grownup - I'm impressed by your freezer/meal organisation too. Sorry you have had such a difficult time recently.

Today is Operation Crisis Clean as the most critical relative in the world is coming to visit me tomorrow. I had hired a gardener to spend a day sorting out our monstrous, overgrown garden, but he's just cancelled . He did say he'd do a few hours tomorrow morning though. The window cleaner didn't turn up either . Never mind, I have time to tackle the house myself today.

Have just been reading this, after it was recommended on the organisation thread. The 'frog' is the thing you don't want to do. The idea is that you do it first and then everything else gets easier. I seem to have an awful lot of frogs leaping around my house today, so I'll start with the ugliest and work from there.

BBL to report on progress.

Thanks, I'm not always very well, so having a freezer full of the homemade stuff means that even when I am sick I can give the kids homecooked food. I just do a little bit extra when I am making the dinner, like tomorrow I have pizza on the list, so will make up lots of extra dough and freeze some pizza bases. And today is egg fried rice, so usually would do extra rice, but have got three bags of the stuff in the freezer already.

I got dressed to my slippers just now, and made all the beds up.

I had a bit of world fallng apart wobble this morning as it turns out Doctor has not written the referral letter she promised in time for me to take to the Endocrine clinic, and she isn't there today but I took a deep breath and the surgery has sorted it out with a replacement printout of sorts...

Now I notice my phone is not charged so will have to wait a while for that before setting out.

Toffee that is soo soo grrr, when you have pysched yourself up for these big purging visits, it's difficult to remember the other things you can do when they don't materialize. Re: fear of critical visitors. My mum though lovely and very very kind, is the most critical visitor in the world in the sense of telling me the cup hooks are in the wrong place (although she did improve after my brother insisted she take her shoes off so as not to dirty his carpets, recently) I find myself being so defensive before she has even walked in the door that it ruins the atmosphere somewhat. I am trying to change the vibe. There is always going to be something your visitor is going to find to criticize, perhaps it makes her happy to interfere and comment, and I suppose that is just the way she is. She probably just likes interfering. And will depart refreshed in a way So many frogs here today. I am trying to tackle the biggest frog, my health and or teeth, which has tended to have a undrained marsh all of his own recently.

Big thanks to Linzer for getting us through Feb :)

And more for Sanguine for volunteering for March.

Waving to all, and hello to new people and returnees :)
Have to be sensible and not stop and chat properly until later, but just wanted to quickly say ;
Grownup hi, I?m also impressed by your freezer. :)
Swan so glad you have possible answers on the way.
Toffee hope the crisis clear goes well.
And hope to catch up with everyone after this lot:

Clear out fridge (properly this time!)
Collect food from friends freezer (I cook hers in exchange for storage :o)
Hand wash T.shirt/blanket
Launderette
Finalise long overdue renewal of SEN statement
(will come back about that to those seeking them, as soon as I can stop holding breath)
TFL for maps of w/chair accessible stations
Shopping
Lakeland?s for friend
Office supplies for files
Read gas meter and call them
Complain about son?s shoes (worn through in under 2 months)
Clear car boot
Sort de-hoarding/cleaning kit
Plan tomorrow (out all day)
Plan March schedule and what has to be achieved.

I may be some time?

I have just been told that the damage i thought i had done is not a serious as the damage the doc thinks i have done. I am in a bit stunned tbh. however he used the phrase use it or lose it and had signed me off to go back training but to cut down no of hours just no lifting ds or very heavy things. Pottering is good, sitting still bad. Thus i can now plan my week around this and i know which part of the country i will be in friday.

So far today i have:
Put 1 load of washing on
Read riot act to ds
Been to the docs
Ring ex
wash ds plastic sheet from bed
Eaten breakfast

To do:
Ring ex back after consulting everything else.
make a list of question for ds' hospital appointment tomo
more laundry
fold more clothes
get ds' clothes away
get ds' book out of box onto book shelf
Set table up for play dough play for ds
dust dead things and move to summer location.
Get ds' hair cut.

Morning all! to SC for this thread and waves to JWIM missb and grownup .

Not much flying going to happen here today but washing is on the line & I'm having coffee in the garden while DS2 potters about. :)

to do:
Shoe shopping with DS1 - wish me luck!

Swan - I know I'm too defensive with the prospective visitor, but there's a long history behind it and I'm not up to changing it now. It's hard to change the vibe, as you say. Sorry you had trouble with your referral, but well done for getting it sorted so quickly.

I have dealt with two ugly 'frogs' and am feeling much better for it. Have told DS1 to eat his frog (tidying his room), much to his bewilderment. DH is muttering about people making money out of silly ideas about frogs, but I say that if it works to stop my procrastination it's all well and good.

Having a cup of , then on with the crisis cleaning...

Gorgeous, spring-like day here. Blackbirds chirrupping outside. Very cheering.

Yes, it's lovely here too and I am going to take the dogs out in a minute. That book looks interesting, I've got lots of frogs!
So far, I've finished the work and the 3 associated phone calls and rung the bank, waiting for return call. And I was naughty and finished my book first :( but had to be done :). So some small progress this morning at least.

Hello everyone sorry haven't read the thread at all. Huge apologies.

Still to shine my sink.

At work so not possible at mo.

Ds sent off to school in his magic school bus costume

Best get back to work. Hope to catch up soon.

afternoon everyone, sorry not read, but waving to everyone.

DW unstacked, restacked, load of laundry on. Showered, dressed and dogs walked.

Been to have gel on nails, now blue/black and I love them. Haircut later this evening and DD parents evening, so all go here. Decorator not finished, had to get him some more paint when I was out. Fingers crossed he is finishing up the lounge & dining room today, the paint dust is bugging me now.

HAHA! Did you read that? the paint dust is getting on my nerves.

Not really, off to do some knitting squares for the blankets being made. My bedroom is my salvation at the moment, all tidy, clean and clutter free.

Afternoon all,

Jax I've decided to reteach myself to knit to make a square for the blanket. Am still waiting for my wool to arrive, but I did a couple of practice rows with some wool that was lying around and the result wasn't particularly impressive.

The house looks very clean (thanks to the cleaner coming this morning) and tidy (thanks to me stuffing everything into cupboards and drawers before she came), but I don't expect it will last very long. I really need to do some proper decluttering but am struggling to find the time (same old story). I had high hopes for this morning - no work, no lessons to prepare (although I was teaching between 11 and 12) and no tidying to be done - but DS announced when he woke up that he had a tummy ache. As he'd also been very slightly sick, I kept him at home; he's been absolutely fine ever since, however. He'll definitely be back at kindergarten tomorrow, as I really don't want to cancel my first ever manicure tomorrow.

Must go and help DD2 practise for her dictation tomorrow. And persuade DD1 to do some more maths revision. Can hear DS screaming; I shall have to distract him with Reading Eggs.

So far today i have:
Put 4 loads of washing on
Read riot act to ds
Been to the docs
Ring ex
wash ds plastic sheet from bed
Eaten breakfast
fold more clothes
get ds' clothes away
Feed ds a proper lunch
Clean up said lunch when chucked on the floor
Try again to get food into ds.
Put ironing right side out for ironing
Tackle the odd sock basket again
Hunt in office for wool, bloody hell it needs sorting out
dust dead things -dipped and draining in bath

To do:
Ring ex back after consulting everything else.
make a list of question for ds' hospital appointment tomo
more laundry
get ds' book out of box onto book shelf
Set table up for play dough play for ds
Move dead things to summer location.
Get ds' hair cut.
Move waking up plants to bathroom window

I am trying to keep plodding on as right now I want to curl up and sleep/cry/ or something.

The news about the scale of damage was a bit of a surprise and it has knocked me a bit.

what are reading eggs?

Is that like Kinder Eggs but with a story?

Hello, can l join you?
My home is in CHAOS, I could try using the excuse that my youngest is only just three months old, but to be honest, its always like this and I'm getting tired of it. today and yesterday have been productive. I've maintenance washed the wm, hoovered downstairs, cleaned the oven and washed the towels, but that is not the norm, and everything has to fit around ds2. It can be difficult to know where to start, but hopefully this thread can point me in the right direction.

It's only the afternoon of the first of the month and we're on page 3 before I've even marked my place!

(Yes I know I'm late - sorry sc - will leave and in the bar for later)

Fell off again at the end of last month but back AGAIN. Hello MissB and the newbies!

Glad to see you back sc. If you need a break from us let me know and I will fill in for you.

Today I will
buy milk
plant out what I bought yesterday if still sunny when I get home
shine sink
think about tomorrow's tea
bake cake?
30 mins ironing (may not take as long as that)
DW
WM
15 mins in hall (might do it in less)
S&S
GET TO BED BEFORE MIDNIGHT

See you later

Hello everyone

Sorry to leave so many posts unanswered. Bit hectic today. About to do tennis run but will be back later tonight.

Just wanted to offer a warm welcome to Grownup2012 and SoTiredoftheWheelsontheBus

Sorry you are having a tough day Bitchy but you've done loads notwithstanding

BBL!!

x posts Yeah, Mummy is back!! Great to see you!!

Jax Reading Eggs is a website that helps children to learn to read. DS absolutely loves it and is making great progress, but we're coming to the end of our free two-week trial and it's not cheap to subscribe, so I'm not sure what to do. I'd really like him to be able to read before he starts school in September - it's not necessary for him to be able to, but I'm still traumatised by how much DD1 struggled with reading in the first year...

Checking in quickly, hope everyoe else also has a lovely spring day to enjoy.

Laundry done, ironed and away.
Work - some done, more to do.
Mission done - but luckily we have tidy coat/shoe habits and good storage.

So still to do
15 mins decluttering and DS Parents' Evening - first at Secondary School.

Hope to post at the end of the day.

Hello again.

Dinner is on, egg fried rice, yum! We're just back from the doctors picking up prescriptions. We walked back through the woods and stopped at the park for twenty minutes. Kids are now doing homework and drinking milkshakes.

Today I managed to hoover downstairs, clean the blind on the front door, clean the inside of the front door, mop the kitchen floor, make a big pot of soup and do a load of washing.

Still need to fold and put away washing, clean the bath room after bath time, and make a pudding for after dinner. Think I'll take easy after that, today has been quite an achievement already. So shine my sink, dishes from dinner and that's it.

Ta da list so far:

Washing up
Kitchen surfaces cleared and cleaned
Kitchen hotspot decluttered
Kitchen floor hoovered
Boxes of books hidden in car by DH
Hoovered newly revealed floor space in dining room
Piano hotspot decluttered
Sitting-room shelves decluttered and dusted
Fireplace cleared out
Vanish used on carpet marks
Hoovered sitting-room carpet
De-limescaled bathroom taps (but it seems to have chipped off some of the silver too )
Hall hoovered
Laundry dealt with
Another frog dealt with - ordered carbon dioxide detector
Watched DVD on solar system with DS for home ed
Lunch

Still stuff to do, but have to go and get DS2 from his friend's house. Hoping to cook tomorrow's dinner whilst he's on the computer, then to clean bathroom whilst he's in bath.

Off to finish cleaning the windows now, thanks to window cleaner not turning up.

Oh, and good news: DH has finally agreed that we should have a cleaner . So I will be able to focus more time on DS1's home ed and maybe even get some paid work done .

Windows done
Chair covers washed and ironed
DS2 collected from friend
DS1's friend returned to his family
Dinner cooked
drunk

(hic)