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!!

Evening all. Hope everyone has had a productive day and thanks for the flowers!!

Lots of talk about frogs and reading eggs I see ...

Can really recommend this book.

Having written that, I've had mixed fortunes today - my list was unrealistically long - rather ashamed by "ta da" summary - will carry over tomorrow [sigh]

The flu must have taken more out of me than I realised because I felt wobbly in supermarket (no queue though fortunately) and keep having to sit down after each 15-min work shift. Still coughing for England too ... This has been going on for three weeks now. Don't understand it.

Congrats to Toffee you've done brilliantly well today - esp after disappointment of no-show gardener and window cleaner first thing - great news about cleaner too! Good luck with demanding visitor tomorrow.

You too Grownup well done with everything you got done (cooking sounds scrumptious)

Hope parents evenings not too onerous JWIM and Jax

DroitwichM meant to say before - thanks v. much for offer - and I hope to be following your example tonight and hitting the sack early

Bitchy am intrigued by your dead things and well done with your list

Congrats on your clean and tidy house Linzer Hope your ds is OK

Swan sorry to hear about the medical hassles - you really don't need that. Hope you weren't too tired for music practice but I know thyroid probs can really wipe you out (a friend of the family went through it)

Nettie I imagine making a magic bus costume could be a bit of a challenge!!

Justgettingonwithit I've written myself a similar list for March and have scared myself witless in the process !! Hope you got through your daily list today OK

Ellie hope doc gave you some answers

Hope you got on OK today Sotired

Waves to Blue Whoknows Lifebeginsat 40 MissBennett and anyone else I've missed

Ta da:
morning routine inc dw, s&s done
clean up kitchen done sink is shiny
sort washing
start washing one paltry load
urgent post-funeral correspondence NOPE
quick supermarket shop done
make soup & supper done
one hour tidy sitting room & playroom NOPE
one hour tidying bedroom NOPE
personal grooming done eyebrows and nails still need to dye barnet fair
tennis run done
French study NOPE
Day 1 of diet did really well all ¨day (resisted cold sausages in fridge) until dh came home and proferred and cheese ...I have the willpower of a slug
didn't do mission either

Flaps wings at everyone else. Sorry that was a rather boring round-up wasn't it. Brain is a bit dead (or more than usual ) tonight.

If no-one minds, I am going to post tomorrow's steps early, watch Masterchef and then get myself to bed on time tonight. Want to get rid of this wretched lurgy for once and for all.µ

Back in a bit.

OK, we've got through the first day (and myself excluded ) you've all done really well so give yourself a pat on the back!!

Baby-step number two for 2nd March 2012 is - drum roll - you've guessed it GETTING DRESSED TO SHOES here

I personally find this step quite helpful (prevents me from curling up on sofa with a book every 5 mins) but many fledglings ignore this one (and the instruction to stick post-it notes around the house)

This is the rationale behind wearing shoes

Tomorrow is the last day in Zone One ie The Entrance, Front Porch and Dining Room. See here

All of the zones for March can be seen here!

You can fnd tomorrow's daily mission here It's a "choose your own mission" day!

Fridays are "declutter your purse and car day" in Fat Fairy land, more info here!

Any questions .... don't hesitate to ask!

Off to the land of chocolant fondants and pannacottas....

Sorry to post so early btw. I'm an hour ahead of UK so it's 20.45 here which doesn't really fit in with many of your postings I know...always amazes me what a difference 60 mins make ...

Swan meant to say - family friend really bounced back with full blazing energy once they had treated her thyroid prob with correct medications - so don't despair. You will feel better soon x

evening! DD report was very good, decorator is finished but woodwork still wet.

Tomorrow it will be dry so will get floors washed and furniture put back then.

DW stacked from dinner dishes, everyone fed, DD in bed, DS playing a game. Another load of laundry ready to go in washing machine, ironed a couple of things for me.

Hair cut, and tomorrow its Friday! woohoo.

Thyroid problems, correct meds and you will feel so much better swanthing promise you. My sister had over active and my Dad under active, both are fine now, well my Dad has to take his meds every day but my sister has balanced out and she gets bloods done every now and then to check it.

Sorry have been rubbish flyer and barely caught up with thread after long day at work.

Ta da:
Ds toe by toe
tidy kitchen
dw
read to dc
bath

DD's calling (now what!)

Well, a busy day here again, managed a bit of detailed cleaning in the lounge (it still needs a lot more).

Ta-da!

Hoovered lounge including moving half the furniture
Cleaned skirting boards in that half of the room
Morning routine
Changed our bed and washed sheets
Work
Shopping
Half an hour of OU work
School run
Tennis run with DCs, which is turning into a bit of a nightmare
Tea
Ice cakes for cake sale tomorrow
Tried to haggle down car insurance - fail.

To do
Packed lunches
Watch ER
Go to bed
Get DCs to calm down and go to sleep. Not sure what order any of this is going to happen in

Tennis - the DCs go to coaching sessions one after the other, so each has to sit through the others session. DS really didn't want to go tonight but I wasn't going to let DD miss hers, which is first, so we went. DS and the other siblings (all boys) watching always make a lot of noise, running around etc, all fairly harmless in itself but it distracts the little ones from their session and stresses the mums out trying to stop them. Trouble is, you try putting a bunch of 8 year old boys in a wide open area with lots of balls and stopping them playing, shouting etc, impossible. Unless you take along a DS, which I'm reluctant to do as in general I'd rather they played together. It's incredible the contrast in the 2nd session, the girls watching play so quietly and nicely.

Anyway DS agreed to start his session but gave up half way through and sat out. I don't think tennis is for him TBH, he is OK at it but I'm worried that at his age sporting activities start getting a bit more serious and hard work and he doesn't want that, he just wants to have fun.

Hi everyone,

Sigh.... collapsed into a bit of a heap, with lots of stomach pains for a couple of days. WHEN will I feel better???!!!

House is not ideal, but a quick whip around for the next half hour should take care of the worst of it as I have been doing small things while not feeling well, just to keep on top of the worst of it.

I'm then going to crash into a heap in bed - DH is away overnight (again!!!) BEFORE 10 pm as I'm feeling shattered.

Have a friend coming over tomorrow morning so should have a lovely end to the week.

Will do ta da and to do lists tomorrow when I have a bit more energy.

done
ds1 luggage packed for Rome trip (much dusting off of underused ironing board including money, EHic andpassport
dd story and bed (she's regressed from JWilson/Little Women to Magic Faraway Tree, no bad thing perhaps)
sausage pasta for supper
Dh came home at 6pm to help so that was good.

also Consultant has diagnosed me formally with Hashimoto's disease - which causes underactive thyroid, and is putting me on 50 mg thyroxine tomorrow, after one more test.was kind and thoughtful and suggested I look after myself more, go to hairdresser, get cleaner etc! Perhaps all the women at the (Bupa)Cromwell where I went had housekeepers SC and Jax I am looking forward to having energy.

SC you are back to your old form running thread; also just to let you know that we stopped doing round ups last month, so don't feel under more pressure to do those. You have enticed new members in too, I think it must be a welcoming gift Hope Masterchef revives your spirits, and look after yourself.

I have put stuff in dw
and put rubbish in a heap
rescued hall earlier
cleaned a horrid pot of old stew from garden
supper prepared (sausage and tomato fusilli)
talked to cousin
talked to relatives
rescued front room slightly
another two loads of laundry
ironing [some]

Scatty hope you finally got some p & q after a long day
Toffee you sound like you have achieved wonders! Is this your DSM? It must be v difficult having her round, and the last thing you need to have worrying you.

waves to everyone else, including nettie but need to go to bed as tomorrow I have to get up at 5.15 or so DH tells me, to drop off child.

Evening All

Parents' evening was good with no unexpected surprises and somethings to help DS work on - write more, daydream less!

Evening bits done, sink shiny and DW running.

Will have to work on the decluttering - not much done today.

Whoknows tennis is such a great thing to be good at though isn't it? (I know it is game you like too) I am cr**p at tennis, sadly. I suspect ds1 is too. Could you go on a little errand with your ds1 while you wait or even sit in car with Ninds? I had this with singing lesson back to back for ds1 and dd, and it really didn't work out, racing back and forth, spending fortune bribing with lemonade etc. I gave up lessons until ds could walk there himself One starts wth such good intentiions all these after school activities, then they can seem a lot like hard work trying to get recaltitrant creatures to play ball [sorry no pun intended] Dd is desperate to do tennis, maybe when my energy is renewed I should look into it, as it is in same place as swimming but just ties me down every Thursday.

I'm sitting down and it's only just gone 10! Done list apart from hall and cake (which was a bit of wishful thinking tbh). Am waiting for tumble drier to finish as it has DHs uniform in it for tomorrow. Will make tomorrow's lunches while I wait and should be in bed by 11.

Hope all of the poorly people feel better soon. Goodnight all

I am glad they are getting a plan to get you back on your feet and feeling better swan.

I have to admit i gave up earlier, curled up and went to sleep. back is sore but i suppose that is to be expected. Hopefully it will ease off over the next two weeks. However, if not the doc has a plan of action that involves serious tests

Not asleep when i had hoped, tired but not sleepy tonight.

Wishing you all productive days tomo.

Swan that's great that you've been diagnosed so quickly, hope the meds make a difference quickly. I think you are right, DS needs a different routine with the tennis, for a long time it was only him and one friend waiting through the earlier session and they played together pretty well, we would have to quieten them down sometimes but not a problem, it has all escalated since a few more children started. Because of the problems he has socially I am always keen for him to make the most of any opportunity to play with friends, including this time but I think I need to reign it in, they are just getting hyper. I might start driving up there too, it's only half a mile but walking makes it a rush after school and a late tea.

Bitchy take it easy.

Running past quickly to say when I said I might be some time... I wasn't wrong. Haven't managed all of it and have given tommorow to someone else and am up horribly early, so it will be Saturday before I can catch up.

Well, if the March 'In like a lion, out like a lamb' holds true then perhaps I should plan a sleep-in for 31st March! Yesterday up at 4.30am to (nearly) complete final clearout of dining room (best buy - 10 stacking crates from Tesco's recent household event, now stashed and dashed and piled in lounge ) and by 7.30 I had builders in (4 during the day, all over 50 - please send over a toyboy Linzer). When they moved the dresser I could see so clearly that, whilst I might have been doing Flylady's 'vacuum the middles' I had failed miserably at anything more detailed - a warren of dust bunnies behind there .

From 12.30 to 6.30 I abandoned builders to get on with building and look after the dog while DH and I waited for hospital transport (so late we were half hour late for appt), ambulance to hospital, had appt (very successful 30 mins), waited even longer for return transport, and back again - shattered. Then speedy supper then tutoring 6pm pupil rearranged to 7.30 (how naive to think I could fit a 2pm hospital appt plus a 6pm lesson into the same day!) as maths exam for tutee is today.

Returned to wall of kitchen units + washing m/c in my dining room. Builders had cleared up beautifully after themselves but left the bunnies for me. I now have until 7.30am Monday to empty kitchen + utility room into dining room (now temp kitchen) - quart into pint pot, despite frantic decluttering.

I may be gone some time - waves to all :)

Morning all!

Well, i managed to complete a list for the first time in at least a month. Only I didn't do it , dh did. he is at home this week and i think the fat fairy has flown in possessed him, house tidy every night, he has cooked every night and generally been a marvellous housewife. Wonders will never cease!

I was a bit worried that the docs would fob me off with a virus as far as dd's vomiting is concerned but they were brilliant. Obviously couldn'tngive a definitive answer but suggested a food allergy (got to keep a food diary), reflux (gave us some gaviscon) and possible urine infection ( got to take in a sample). Also said that if none of these things cleared it up to go back and they would blood tests etc. Felt very reassured.

swan so pleased you got a swift diagnosis. Hopefully you will start eeling better soon. of your ds going to rome, place i've always wanted to go, the historian in me would love it.

whoknows i know what you mean about the sporting practices for 8 year old boys. Ds loves going to football practice after school bit he isn't anfootballet by nature and all the other boys play in saturday teams etc and at times they have been mean to him saying he is no good. Thankfully, it doesn't seem to bother him so have let it gonfor the time being.

Big waves to everyone else old and new as i need to get moving. Back later.

I'm very early this morning, because I was driving ds1 to school at 6.am. Ooh the mist! He is very happy!
Also made the mistake of jumping out of bed at 2.45 (I was meant to be on duty, and I was convinced that DH had told me to get up 5mins before), tiptoed downstairs, looked at ds's clock which said 5.45 Help!! we are late!!! Red Alert, get ds dressed etc, only to find when I went down to kitchen it was only 2.55 am...send ds back to bed (in his clothes Sneak back into bed where dh was sleeping peacefully, only then he woke up and gave me the Riot Act - didn't I know ds's clock was bust??? So then we were both awake from 3am till 5.15 am. Luckily ds went back to sleep immediately and thought it was all quite funny

Morning all,

Glad the doctors are doing a thorough investigation, ellie - hope you can get to the bottom of it quickly.

Honu That sounds like an exhausting day; I feel tired just reading about it. Sorry you didn't even have any young and easy-on-the-eye builders as consolation; I'll see what I can do. The last one we had said that he was thinking of brushing up his English (DH was rather suspicious when I mentioned it to him ).

Right, must go and do a bit of tidying up and put the washing away before I go and see a friend about a manicure. My nails are in such a state that I think I need a miracle worker.

swan That was an early start - even if you hadn't been awake since 3 am. Why did you have to leave so early?

It reminds me of the time a week or two ago when I went to bed at around midnight (DH had already been in bed for a couple of hours). He woke up and asked me if everything was alright. I said yes, I was just coming to bed. He asked why. I told him that I'd just finished my work. It turned out he thought it was about 6 am, that I'd already been up and was going back to bed. He had absolutely no recollection of this conversation in the morning.

Blimey, not on for a day and there's loads to read!!
Finally had an unbroken sleep last night, the first in many months due to DS having an over active imagination, needing a wee etc.

Ta Da:
Bathroom - full clean including skirting, mirrors and floor
Bleach in sink ready to shine it.
Removed biro from leather dining room chair
1 load of washing

To do:
Wash & hang towels
Wipe down woodwork in hall
Swimming with DS
Weekly shop.

Went to Legs, Bums & Tums last night
Got Body Pump tomorrow.

March is: be a good flyer and start exercising month

[drags aching limbs to sofa for well earned rest]

Morning.

Today is not going to be too productive. Mainly because i am about ready to pass out. Ds is out of plaster, and the Specialist did this face when he got the answer to how is he doing. Well you try getting a active 7yo to sit still and be sensible.

List to do:
ring school
ring ex
pack stuff for ds' wkend away
sort training kit as back training for the first time in nearly two weeks.
take ds to contact drop off point.

And at some point i need a nap.

Hope those with early starts or in need of a nap get 5 minutes to rest.

Morning bits done, second load of washing on, first load drying.

Work this afternoon then getting ready for teen girls onslaught - 8 here for the evening and supper (feeding a variety of x won't eat pizza, y no to potatoes etc etc), then 6 sleeping over (snacks order placed!) and a tired, ratty Saturday afternoon (DD not me) no doubt to look forward to. The main positive is that it gets the 'sleepover' for this term out of the way all in one go.

Handbag/purse tidied. Mission - get DD to clean walking boots then back door lobby will be clutter free.

afternoon all, I have been in the Dining Room all morning. How can paint rubby dust get on everything, despite dust sheets covering everything? So I have cleaned, mopped, scrubbed, put furniture back, removed a whole detritus of crap and dog hair - not sure how it can get under great lumps of furniture that are floor to almost ceiling, but it can and I am now retreating upstairs to MN for a minute. hour

Still got the lounge to do and the dining table but I need a cuppa.

Good afternoon! DS2 is at the childminder for another hour and a half, and I've finished my work, so I guess I should do some flying... Does going to the shop for milk count??