April Fledglings Fly into Spring, Get That Clutter into the Bin

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes]

Welcome to the April 2012 Fledgling Flyers thread. Come and join us for a bit of chat and a lot of housework (or possibly the other way round).

A huge "thank you" to SanguineChompa for leading us through March

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 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. Feel free to browse the Flylady website as well, links below

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:

• 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!!

Signing in, but will be name-changing again, cannot get used to this name and hate being addressed as 'duster'!!!

(I was Just one more thread before).
This time will put more than 30 secs thought.

Once that is done I will actually set aside some time to sort out this flying thing properly and do the baby steps in order.
Now my house is in decent shape and I can afford to do little and often to keep it going, would be a terrible shame to let it all fall apart again!

Needto you probably haven't picked the best time if they are off school! But at least you can come here and whinge about not getting anything done. (regular feature of this thread!)

I like the 'more balls but most' very much but am afraid I'm rather a rubbish juggler! My admiration goes to those who manage to do anything at all with a couple of toddlers underfoot.

I managed to sort out the bricks with the conservation officer by walking him up the road and suggesting a neighbour's bricks might be suitable and, since they were on a listed building he approved a couple of years ago, he liked them! Phew - no brickie standing idle next week!

Do you think we are allowed to try the new expresso machine before the start of April?

swan - yes, syphoning off grey water is definitely allowed - there have been a few threads on MN about it lately. Need to look into it ourselves.

We can't siphon really as our bathroom is ground floor it goes out almost at ground level and the garden slopes up away from the house. The DCs still share a bath and I am gradually training them over to showers though. My latest water saving idea is in the kitchen, we waste a lot because we have to run the kitchen tap for 2-3 minutes before any hot water gets there, it is a long way from the tank. I have solved that one by running the water into the little middle sink and using that to dunk stuff in and rinse instead of my old system which was to put all the washed stuff in there and then half fill the bowl again to rinse the dishes.

Managed another hour of tidying upstairs tonight, have just shared an Indian takeaway with DH and DS (DD declined) and need to go and kiss the DCs goodnight before collapsing on the sofa.

FIL and SMIL are coming up tomorrow. They don't give me the fear like my mum or MIL, but I have at least put out a few hotspots in their honour and downstairs is looking relatively respectable now.

Honu - glad the brick issue is sorted at least.

Waves to all. Good night!

Evening. Erm about this early night thing? well erm

oppps

night all.

Hello. Just to say I have posted last baby-step for March (rather belatedly!) on other thread.

Whoknows is away this evening so I will be looking after this thread tonight/tomorrow morning ... until she gets back.

Blue Of course it is! Thanks! (Spelling has gone to pot having lived abroad for so long - mix of langs - well that's my excuse ) Dd and I did try dowsing last year as it happens - and it worked!! (Maybe that could be your solution Swan??!)

A big hello/warm welcome/welcome back to Belinathechicken Needtodeclutter Shannaratiger Gossipwitch and CarpeJugulum

Great to see Nicknacks and MummyD too and everyone else

Look forward to seeing your new incarnation Anotherone/justonemore!!

Huge wing flaps to all
Back tonight!

Thanks Bitchy (is it okay to call you Bitchy?) and Sanguine. Does dettol go on carpets? Thinking of buying large batch of Petweeaway which is expensive but does seem to do the job. Urine apparently crystalises and only certain solutions will dissolve the crystals. Apparently.

Feel for you about the builders swan I've just had a nightmare sorting out builder and insurancers. Laughing at moving a few pots I have A LOT of them...and "dithery Mrs Muddlehead bonnet" I have one of those too...! Fancy that. Poor you re the dog poo next to picnicers....

whoknows what was on dd's shelves? Surely just about 3 nicely placed ornaments and maybe 2 cuddly toys? As in the catalogues...

Swish and swipe sink?

Right going to copy and paste this post and go to the new thread where there will be very few posts won't there?

34!!

Thank you SC for your leadership, and thank you to who knows for taking over. Is it a coup?

Right have 4 childfree housebound hours in house today. No car, live in village. Dogs need 40 min walk. So I will get lots done!! Won't I

Where do I start? 26/27 whatever fling boogie? Or shall I weight the stuff if I can get broken scales to work

Am looking forward to de cluttering, as I plan to clear my house of crap, then sell said crap on a carboot, making loads of money and hire a cleaner

Just finished night shift, and back on tonight, so the whole early night thing doesn't really work for me, as I think my boss would be a bit peeved if I sloped off half an hour into a shift for a snooze, tempting as that sounds

So whilst you're all being proactive, I'll be snoring and leaving DHwith a potty training toddler, wonder what mess the house will be in when I get up?

Have made a start on my paperwork sorting although it will be little and often as I have a 3 yr old underfoot. Already seeing a difference though!

Hoping to do something nice with the family later but not sure what yet.

Aye Bitchy it is. Various carnations.

Someone bumped an old fred last night. I lost way too many hours when i had got in late to start with. feeling strangely awake and alert today though.

It is weird that one some of the threads you still see the same old names. I have had way way way too many name changes. And no-one knows who I am/have been. Although I will never ever live down the get name change fuck up fledgling thread. Perhaps I might need to go in search of that, lol. makes my head hurt thinking about it though

I had the foresight to buy jar of nutella and hot cross buns. Breakfast in bed was lovely, although soooo going to have to sort out the body declutter stuff, Does she cover this in her book? The fat fairy I mean - who was it who coined the term fat fairy? It was after a dream wasn't it?

Right to do list: (probalby different from one posted last night )
--let some huge fuck ass bumble bee out, god knows when he came in as didn't open the window yesterday)
Get up
check ds has had breakfast
through something nice at ds as I know he has been up since 8am because he set his alarm.
Laundry
ds' clothes away
towel away
bedding away
clear floor enough to hoover
Take ds out as the weather is nice
Find some nail varnish and remove old nail varnish (meant to do this last night but some bugger had pinched the remover I know it contains acetone and thus good for removing permament marker pen but still )

There are a whole tone of kids shouting and litter picking outside. If it had been a child free weekend and I had not long been in I would be very upset. Nice to know that the kids pay about as much attention to instructions as ds. (they seen like a cub type group). I think their leaders are going to need a very strong by the time they are finished.

Who was it who asked about wee? when ds was potty training i used neat disinfection to spot wash and then pulled a carpet cleaner over the top once in the year. Bicarb is good for illiminating smells. Shake over, brush in, leave, hoover up.

I suppose i am going to have to move. I will be glad when I have had a large inside me today. My head is beginning to hurt. Was interesting night last night.

i am all wordy today. Mind splat!!!!

Have good days and catch up another later.

marking place - hello everyone!

In four hours.

Walked dogs 1hr 10min
30 min t'ternet
30 min lunch
1 hr watching murder she wrote while decluttering and dusting living room with dettol wipes. Got rid of large carrier bag of 'things' for charity and 1 bag of rubbish. Swept hall and put away 'stuff' from hall. Don't have to weave like a drunkard now to get down it...well maybe just like a slightly tipsy person weaves now...

Girls due back any mo, then at 5 they are sleeping over at mgm (mad grandmothers). First time for dd2...dh sleeping over with them for dd2's first sleepover. Feel all sad :( good they are independant and can do that but just a little worried...she asks for me not dh. DD1 very excited to be going as usual. I should be arranging night out but can't be arsed. But don't want to stay in at same time. Bah.

Bitchy, get thee to bed at decent time!

Belina - never works for me the selling bit...one step of organisation beyond me. And never time to do it...sure I could if I were more organised.

Need - must join in paperwork declutter.... :)

Hi jif :) I prefered jif too...

Off for a few hours for some fun...ooh dd1 going out again to help dh at work...so dd2 to look after...

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh.

I had a pile of stuff to go to the tip. Someone volunteered to take it for me, which was great until they went through the stuff going oh i could use that, but that is useful. FFS it is BROKEN! It needs to go to the tip. Stop hindering my decluttering .

I feel your pain Bitchy, I always make the mistake of putting piles or bags of stuff to go in our bedroom. Either girls find it and (like last night) remember stuff and reclaim it (you were sending it to the charity shop!...er...YES!) or even worse dh goes through it to find stuff for the girls to wear . If its in a bag or pile in OUR ROOM its decluttering as you WANT me to do .

Did the stuff go in the end? Even if some of it was taken by them at least it would be out of your house...

Evening lovely fledglings

Time for a bit of a catch-up ...

Whoknows is taking a mini-break
Droitwich has discovered the floor of her lounge and donated large comfy cushions for naughty corner ...where...
Nicknacks is fast asleep ...and ...
Honu has strategically placed Danish pastries and an espresso machine
Toffee is being far too hard on herself as usual
Blue is surviving enjoying a visit from rellies
Linzer is full of Flying optimism for April
Ellie isn't
PA is training across the water
MummyNickleby has her rubbish bags at the ready
and Needtodeclutter is willing and able
Belinathechicken is hoping for kicks up the arse support and encouragement ...
...and so are Gossipwitch, CarpeJugulum and Shannaratiger!
Lifebeginsatforty is worried that she has bitten off more than she can chew..; whereas...
Tryingtogetairborne's dog has bitten off more than it can chew by the sound of it!!
Swan has been pondering siphons ...
Justonemoreduster is name-changing
Bitchy has been mind splatting and burning the midnight oil
Jifnotcif popped in to say hello and
SC is off to watch 'The Voice' ...

Huge waves to anyone I've missed ...

PS Tryingtogetairborne not sure about Dettol on carpets...I use it everywhere but we have wooden floors ... arf at coup btw!!

Have a great Saturday night everyone! Links in a mo ...

OK everyone ... we're about to start the baby-steps all over again ...more power to your respective elbows and wings and all that ...

Baby-step no. one, for tomorrow, April 1st 2012 is:

here!! Shine that kitchen sink!! (Scroll down)

No zones or missions because it is the weekend.

(Just for info though - next week we will be starting again in Zone 1, the entrance hall, porch & dining room)

The daily focus for Sunday is renewing your spirit

Have a lovely, relaxing Sunday everyone!

Meant to say Honu well done with the bricks!!

And hope the disco was a success Feetheart!

Eventually. Thankfully they are going away, I shall be getting rid of a whole load of stuff whilst they are gone. it's not been used in forever, or it is broken so it will go.

Ds has spent the entire day in pjs Clean on this morning but still. he is very chuffed about it I have done virtually fuck all today. And very lucky to have a child obsessed with a tv series which means a bit of down time. He looks knackered though so it will be early nights all around here. I am already ready for my bed. hopefully a gd night's sleep will help my motivation to do something tomo. I am beginng to think that if I drink coffee I am actually more tired then when I don't although this seems illogical unless it is something to do with the fact i like my coffee sweet and milky and this is cause sugar rushes and crashes. I felt so much more alive post teeth extraction when i hadn't drunk any coffee for nearly a week. must see if I can go back to somethign like that i think.

Have fabulous day's tomo!

I have been polishing knobs again . It really is very therapeutic.

Managed a Family Fun Day out with DH and DS2 today, leaving DS1 in the care of his grandma. We had a lovely time, in spite of the inclement weather. Where has the sunshine gone? .

Welcome, newbies.

Waves to oldies.

Hi all :)
I went mia sometime last year (October?)but am definitely going to give it another shot.

hello all, can I come back? 1st's feel like a good time to do it, have been meaning to jump back on board for a while, have been a truely appalling fledgling, started year so well and nosedived in spectacular fashion at the end of Feb. Sorry linzer never said thank you for your amazing job in Feb ans many apologies sc missed every single post in March, who knows I WILL be better in April, I have to be as going back to work in May.

Am off to tackle mountain of ironing, tomorrow will see a new me, hope you all have good evenings

Just sloping off to bed ...

A warm welcome back to TheWaffler and MadameMessy!

Aw at your ds in his pjs Bitchy and sleep well both of you!!

Toffee leave those knobs alone ...

G'night all and see you in the nest bright and early ...

Just popping in to say thanks Sanguine both for leading through March, and also often making me laugh. :)
Thanks in advance to Who knows too. :)

There?s not much flying here owing to the situation, so mainly focussed on son?s (educational) needs and us managing to live out of small corners, but the de hoarding of other house is continuing slowly but surely, and just holding my breath and nerve over our home and hoping for good outcomes, and lurking gratefully here so I don?t lose mental momentum if that makes sense!