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!!

Bitchy how much coffee do I need to drink to get in the decluttering zone? I'm obviously not up to the correct dose!

Morning, morning. Fruit bread sounds yum!!

Day on the mainland today. Whoooopppppeeeeee!!!!! Morning of shopping - a tumble dryer needed and loads of summer clothes, if there are any in the shops yet. Then an afternoon of scans and proddings and pokings for DD4. Annual checkup time, so making the most of the day.

Just going to sort out the washing,
Hang on the line,
Put chilli in the slow cooker
Clean kitchen
Go and get the boat!!

HAve a good day everyone. See you later.......

ahem, to those of you who remember me, hello!
Didn't have the heart to come back on this since I dropped off it as literally would have not had any flying to report.

Let the house go so badly, after endless rounds of poorly children.

Anyway, yesterday I scoured the kitchen so feel there is a place for me here again.

Look forward to catching up with all your news!

Throws some snorkers in the pan ...

Whoknows Give up toast???!!!!! [schock] ...

[Tops up Honu's cup ...um... several times ]

Have a great day *PA!! (and hope dd's check up ok) Happy sailing!!

(Have been reading lots of good things about that island of yours recently - becoming mega-hip and 'the place' for home produced organic produce and sustainable tourism and all that )

Yay! Good to see you Justonemore Welcome back!! And don't feel you have to scour the kitchen to 'earn' a place on here!! Gosh - after all - that counts as housework!!!

Tis good just to catch up! Don't let me persuade you in to bad habits though!! [unworthy thread leader emoticon] In the words of the Fat Fairy, just get stuck in where we are at....

Right it's 9.07 over here and I have to be at work by half past. Back around 2pm.

Just a bit of time to serve the last breakfasts and round up yesterday's activities ....

Ok let's see what you all got up to yesterday ...

Scatty was nit combing and buying birthday presents

Feetheart was using her timer and "the power of 15 mins technique" to good effect and worrying about her dd's schooling (sorry to hear this is happening and understandably on your mind - it must be so stressful for you - hope Friday meeting brings some reassurance)

Bluewas enjoying the sunshine and indulging in some retail therapy

Valium was Flying well and chuckling over Fat Fairy (think we can thank PA for that title!! )

Bitchy barely escaped pendants corner alive ...stuffed half an elephant ... and did some serious decluttering of paperwork

Despite serious sleep deprivation Chitchat made copious amounts of play dough and had fun in some foam

Toffee was also battling tiredness and nursing her poorly ds2 (hope everyone feeling a bit better today - you really have been through the wars in your household recently)

Lifebegins was finally feeling better (yay! ) and offered sage advice about cleaners - [SC notes down good tip about coordinating with detailed cleaning list]

Yay! Ellie popped back to update (although sorry to hear life is tough going atm - - roll on Easter vac)

Drum roll ....Whoknows has won the day's golden duster award by managing to complete and survive mega-list (including onerous after school chauffering duties)! Top marks!!

Mummynickleby has been appreciating the finely-honed domestic skills of her mil!

Nettie has been going through home refurbishment hell, nursing her poorly ds and trying to cope with the 24/7 demands of work/life inbalance . Poor you - that sounds so stressful! Hope your dh returns soon to help you out!

SC was communing with Uncle Nesbit

Have a good one everybody!!

Up till the early hours with coughing, moaning DS2 - and then woken up again just a few hours later with more coughing and moaning. At 6am, he announced, "I am as hungry as a peasant" , so I made him breakfast. DH has promised to go into work a bit later so I can catch up on more sleep.

Nice to see you again, justonemore

Morning all,

Thanks for the round-up and links, SC. at your Germanic spelling of shock; I'm always trying to type [schock] too, but usually manage to catch it in the preview!

Welcome back, justonemore. I don't seem to be posting much about FLYing at the moment, but stay here for the chat (although I'm not even managing to keep up with that very well at the moment).

PA Enjoy the shopping and hope that your DD's check-up goes well.

WhoKnows I wish I had the willpower to give up something for Lent. , chocolate or spring to mind. Unfortunately, I have absolutely no willpower.

Lovely sunny day here so almost too hot for a run, but I went out and am feeling quite virtuous now. Can't feel smug when I'm only running for a maximum of 3 minutes at a time, but at least I was out for 40 minutes.

I seem to be lurching from one embarrassing incident to the next at the moment. Yesterday's was trying to pick up DD2's from a friend's, not having realised that the family had moved house four months ago. It involved a confused conversation over an intercom (those things should be banned) and generally much embarrassment on my part, although at least the mother and son (who I'd taken for DD2's friend's parents over the intercom) were very nice about it before I scuttled off red-faced.

Must go and see about the washing - there are several loads as DS has managed to wet the bed again.

Morning Toffee. . Sorry to hear about your interrupted night and lack of sleep, but at your DS being as hungry as a peasant.

you need more coffee then blood in your caffine stream and someone to piss you off entirely to the point where you have to do something to deal with the rage.

today i lack coffee. will be rectifying that as soon as i can get j to school.

really CBA today, but have got up, dressed, DD to school, dogs fed, DW unstacked and restacked, laundry in tumbly. Ironing put away.
Made a batch of oopsie rolls for DH and I (low carbing)
Just going to hoover and wash floors downstairs and see how I feel after that.

Coffee isnt giving me any get up and go today at all.

I did smile at 'hungry as a peasant' poor little thing.

WhoKnows - impressive list!

MummyNic - Oh absolutely, guests must be kept happy

SC - Oh thank you, just what I needed to get me going this morning

Bitchy - I know what you mean about needing to be in the right frame of mind to declutter. I've learned NEVER attempt it when I'm feeling lonely or nostalgic. I spend forever going down memory lane and can't actually get rid of anything! A good time is after I've stepped on something and hurt my foot, or I drive myself batty trying to find something in the clutter......

Coost - Keep holding onto the vision of your bathroom - it will keep you sane!

Linzer - extra washing here for the exact same reason....

Toffee - poor you! Hope you manage to catch up on some sleep

JustOneMore - Hiya! feel free to just come and chat - although the little guilt tips when I see others doing things do help motivate me to do at least a little bit.

PA - Have fun on the mainland!!!

Morning all - another bunch of play dough made up this morning as was up at ridiculous o'clock thanks to DS2 and DH, hopefully will have made enough by the end of the day (I've made about 12 kgs now !).

Off to the shop to buy some more play dough supplies - I'll be having nightmares about it soon.

Morning Jax - I'm low carbing too at the moment. The hardest thing about it is not being able to buy any food on the run...

Morning all. Thought for a momeny I'd stumbled onto a baking thread .

Spent all eve nitcombing whole family. DD still scratching this morn (sigh).

Need to go to ASDA but have been searching for appealing websites for DD as need to wean her off cbeebies (she is starting to sound like Lola!)

To do
Asda
bathroom
kitchen
laundry
stuff for work
rainbows

linzer perhaps you should just avoid going out for a while.
coost life sounds very complicated atm .

Morning all. Need a list!

Ta da!
Beds stripped
Washing on line
Everyone in the right place with the right stuff
Recycling bins cleaned out

To do:
Tidy bedrooms
Filing
Dusting
Mirrors
Hoover, sweep and mop
Ironing
More newsletter chasing and sending out
Zumba as couldn't go Monday
Remake beds

Scatty DS1's school sent a list of websites with educational games. Can check later if you like.

ChitChat - at 12kg of playdough!

Off to put the kettle on. anyone? Extra strong for Toffee and Bitchy ...

chitchat I tend to buy little cheese pieces or perarami or cooked meat and tesco do little packets of almonds, if Im not organised enough to have eaten before heading out.

DS bed didnt get stripped yesterday after all, so it is now out on the line.

Still cant be arsed but have done some hoovering and general tidying up.

What is the low-carbing stuff all about, Jax and ChitChat? Would it give me a flat stomach before I go on holiday in June ?

Managed to get some more sleep before DH left for work at 10. Both boys are now poorly and DS2 had to go back to bed for a while. I have to collect another child from school today - arranged a long time ago - so have had to ask my next-door neighbour to come and sit with my boys for half an hour at 3. DH would have been here, but he's had to take his mum to a hospital appointment.

Going to do some decluttering now. Feeling quite anxious about the cleaner coming tomorrow. She is bringing her own child with her (too young for school), and now both my children will probably be here too, so there will be a lot of us in one little house and it might all feel a bit weird. Have also had to beg DH to please, please remove the boxes of books so she can actually have some floor to hoover.

done
a bit of Mum looking after, which was quite fraught, as she told me off several times....and was determined to be left to her own devices, whilst simultaneously fussing over tiresome details There's a button on the floor, pick it up etc...No not that cupboard you silly girl etc etc... However, her friends are visiting quite often and she is a woman transformed in the company of her own generation
removed a lot of zimmer frames etc
did some general housework/gardening tasks for Mum, who is still meant to be keeping her leg up at all times..
was sent off to have hair cut and buy some new clothes by Mum [schock] (she lives near nice shops!)after being told off at breakfast in her house for wearing an unattractive nightie and not brushing my hair
I now have a big bag of new clothes, so I've achieved something this morning!

nettie big bar of chocolate and several sniffs of smelling salts, and hope Dh comes back and rescues you, after a fashion, soon. YOU WILL HAVE A GORGEOUS BATHROOM and we will all be jealous. I want you to close your eyes and imagine the most decadent colour match in towels to cheer yourself up. I now have an eau de nil bathroom with white tiles, a velvety grey blind, green trim retro tiles edging white, and I have still to buy the right colour towels to bring it to luxury level. Dd has hung a sign up saying Girls' bathroom, I want ashes of roses towels, but atm they are 80's orangey red, which doesn't match.

todo
a lot of stuff - perhaps I'll lie down and rest before pickup. Feel utterly shattered by yesterday and today's shennagins, and also forgot my medication this morning. But apparently best to just take it again at usual time tomorrow rather than late.

Toffee don't be anxious about cleaner, please. We are telling terrible tales, don't let it put you off. It is a bit like giving your child to someone to look after for first time,(one thinks of 1000s of little things to explain) in the end they will just do it their way, and house will be cleaner.

A friend of mine used to say the cleaner drove her mad because my friend used to leave all the boxes of things that had run out, in pile to remind her to buy more...and cleaner not surprisingly used to throw out the empty boxes and bottles...requiring lengthy explanation and discussions etc..So little things mean it seem difficult at first. Friend now has regular cleaner and very good job workign from home

I posted to you and Feet but post has not connected, so I'm sorry...

Toffee - last time I low carbed I lost about 6 kg in 4 weeks (and must admit my stomach looked pretty darn good!!! ), and although I had to be disciplined with WHAT I ate, I didn't pay all that much attention to HOW MUCH, so it wasn't too bad. Harder with children having cereal in the morning, so am trying to eat before they're even up!!

Course with a few months of not watching what I'm eating at all it's all back on.....with a bit extra .

I'm low GI-ing rather than low carbing, although it has meant cutting back on carbs. I haven't lost any weight yet (2 weeks in) but I feel a lot better, no more massive carb cravings and energy dips and for the first time in my life I don't crave crisps!

The only time I ever have a flat stomach is in the immediate aftermath of a stomach bug - hardly an effective weight loss method. I don't have the discipline to give up foods I like, although I do try to eat them in moderation - the fact that I can only buy my favourite chocolate and biscuits when I'm back in the UK does make it easier to ration myself.

Toffee You'll soon be wondering how you ever managed without a cleaner. I must admit I'm not particularly comfortable with having someone else in the house cleaning while I'm there, but the end result is worth it. My main problem with our cleaner is communication, as my Slovak is non-existent and her German is basic to say the least. Basically, I just let her get on with it as trying to tell her anything is too much hassle.

scatty DD2 is starting to talk like Peppa Pig and (even more worryingly) DS like George; having a daughter who sounds like Lola seems quite appealing in comparison!

ChitChat 12 kg of playdough! I hope all your efforts are appreciated.

Hello everyone. I had a fab day of training (no kids) and feel very daunted but with renewed vigour for my role of governor. Have been ofsted surfing all night.

jax I would like a cba day like your very productive for cba.
toffee hope you had a fab early night after your lack of sleep. Love hungry as a peasant too
linzer hee hee at going to the wrong house. Well done on run. I haven't managed again yet. Will be much easier when I go home.
chitchat sorry did I miss something are you building an Olympic stadium out of playdoh? Ah yes my gorgeous bathroom.
scatty ah the lovely nit comb been out here too. None as yet although I keep getting an incredibly itchy head whenever I think about it.
toffee hope everyone feeling a bit better and cleaner was fab.
swan well done looking after mum. I'm loving being sent off shopping. More reason to look scruffy when you go. hmm good visualisation. I looking forward to nicknacks shopping. Maybe after taking kids to zoo on Saturday they might allow me a trip to the bathroom Mecca dunelm thx for chocolate.

Huge waves to bitchy blue sc and anyone else I missed.

Evening all,

Another busy day with next to no Flying .

Ta-da!

School run
Go to work
Shopping for an hour
Home for 5 mins
School run
Into town with DS to spend pocket money
Home for 10 mins
Back to school for DD
Home for half an hour
DD to Rainbows
Play football with DS
Pick DD up from Rainbows

I must have walked about 10 miles today.

Cook tea
Handover DCs to DH, who has YET AGAIN "forgotten" to put out the DCs clothes for the next day, we've been doing this every sodding night for 8 years WHY CAN"T HE REMEMBER!!@!!

Drive to Aldershot for workshop about occupational therapy for DS, which was very interesting. Swan and Toffee - this was the one mentioned at the workshop, all the SOSSEN people were there again.

OFf to bed, night all.

Good morning!

Baby step number twenty-two for today, Wed 22nd March is

here learning how to make a control journal in 15 steps here

We are still in zone 4, the main bedroom here

here's the detailed cleaning list if you are at that stage.

Today's mission is here decluttering your bedside table and flinging 5 items of clothing if you have time

Thursday's daily focus is errand day

Today's reminders

Have a good day fledglings! Back later!

Good morning ladies.

Just had a quick scroll up to see what you have all been up to.

Hello again to just nice to have you back.

MummyNic - I would happily keep your maid MIL happy in this house!!

Waves to ellie - great to "see" you again.

Toffee - I hope DS2 is fully recovered today. A good sign of recovery is being really hungry again, so looks hopeful!

Bitchy - The thought of you in pedants corner had me laughing! I think you could probably teach them some new words, could't you?

Linzer - Errrr did you find DD2?

SC - oh yes, the loveliest island here. It is so mega - hip that we are being sent off!! We cant keep up with it all! I could be showing my ignorance here, but who is uncle nesbit?

Scatty - sympathies over the nit combing. Having had 4 DDs go/going through the school system who all had very long thick hair I spent so many hours with that dreaded nit comb in my hand. It used to drive me insane that some parents just ignored the problem, so no matter how thoroughly I de-nitted a day sat next to certsin children would mean another evening of repeat, repeat, repeat.

Yesterday felt like the longest day in history. I worked out we did 4 hours of travel, 4 hours of shopping/lunch and 4 hours of hospital boredom!
Hospital appointment went ok-ish. Very sad that her lovely Paed consultant who we have seen since she came to live with us 11 years ago is retiring in January next year. He had wanted to finish all her final surgeries before he leaves, but because we are leaving that is not going to be possible, so we will have a new consultant when we return to the country to finish things off.
SHopping went very well and my bank balance is now looking extremely anorexic!
Arrived home last night too tired to eat, too tired to do anything, and with feet that were objecting massively to doing so much all day.

Really messed up when I was trying to book a boat for next week and have not slept properly overnight thinking about my stupidity! I will have to wait until the office opens this morning to see if I can re-coup some of the money I have spent so far and re-organise my bookings.

Day off today. DH has suggested having lunch out together with DD1 - how could I object? Other than that, I intend to do as little as possible!

Have a good day all.