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!!

List update:

Up and functioning
morning school run
lunch for ds made
Beds made
Ironing although currently creating more to do
Laundry 3rd load on
clothes away
towels away
bedding away
plant up plug plants
plant out broad beans going to have to wait. Not going outside again today!
Morn loss of runner beans
Unload DW
reload DW
wash up stuff that doesn't go in dw (pots etc)
Deep clean benches and cooker outside
bleach sink
hoover floor (using kitchen floor for planting up at due to weather, would normally use patio) swept no point in hoovering or mopping with tracking stones through kitchen
water plants
clean bath from watering plants
decluter contents of 2 old uni files
sort through grown out of clothes into 4 piles: family/friend/charity/recycle depending on size/quality
Go into garden survey damage
rip up plans made this morning and start again
clean and move almost 1/4 of ton of stones
Figure out how the hell a tone of stones will fit in the hall It won't.
Put semi-permeable membrane into bath for washing prior to being laid in new location
realise back is going to hate my gutts for the next month
declutter one of the extra colinders in kitchen by using it in stone cleaning process
mow lawn
empty car and ready for loading
take up a tiny fraction of lawn and put into car soo much easier when it is not fecking raining. :(
find cocodamol tablets and take
Buy more buckets
Buy rather a large quantity of chocolate and cola
fall out with ds over different definitions of looking
put ingrediants into bread machine for pizza for tea
realise already have left over tea in fridge
run bath for soaking back
deal with ds in tears over homework
Completely lose plot with ds' attitude.
Contemplate sitting in corner and crying
resort to eating chocolate instead
make shopping list with ds' help
find moisturiser for hands don't normally use but they are a wreck after today's fun and games.
turn dough into pizza and eat!

off to sink into bath and find pjs. Anything else that gets done today will be from that state.

Hello. Just written long, then pressed wrong button and lost it all...

Tired but happy waves to everyone

Back another time when have more energy ...!!

Love the dragons btw!!

Waves back tiredly to SC and all.

Bad night last night so should be resting my eyes not messing about on the pooter. DS1 seemed OK most of the day, but drooped drastically this evening, as they do. Will see if he's up to school tomorrow. Hope so - I've got too much to do to have him at home!

No flying done. Need to put the bread machine on for the morning so better be off.

Evening all,

Wet, wet day. Fairly productive, although I decided to slow down a bit as I have a tendency to kill myself on a Monday with a mammoth list before going to work on Tuesday. Tuesdays look like being my least favourite day of the week this term, not only have I got work, but it is a hideous after school routine of football, ballet and Cubs. Luckily several other Cubs live very nearby and we have worked out a sharing arrangement for walking them all to and from the scout hut which takes the pressure off a bit. So tonight as well as school uniform I have had to organise 3 different sets of uniform/kit.

Feet - notice you quietly slipped another half marathon into your to do list, you are putting my running efforts to shame (I really need to open up a naughty corner for myself on the Couch to 5k thread). Whats the Pingit video thingy?

Blue - oh dear, hope you get a better night tonight and DS1 is better in the morning

SC - tired but happy sounds good to me.

Bitchy - visions of rockery in your bathroom, your poor back, don't overdo it

Tuesday

Babystep Swish and Swipe one of my favourites. Makes the clean bathroom stay clean for the whole week (well, almost, I seem to give up on it by Saturday)

Mission attack that clothes pile.

Daily Focus Planning.

Have a good day everyone.

couldn't sleep so picked up the wool and crochet hook.

Ta Da
Up and functiong - well sort of
bins out
Couple hours of crochet
Consult plan for today drawn up before sleeping was an issue and consider where to lever in a nap.
1st load of laundry on
Be relieved that it looks like it didn't rain last night so turf should lift earlier.
Get folding up to date
load dw
wash stuff that doesn't go in dw
clean benches
layout clothes and breakfast stuff for ds
take out recycling

Currently eating breakfast.

Good morning to you all

Morning! Have been here but far too busy playing with my shiny new iPhone flying to post

DS is much better - just a cold now. Still can't regulate his temperature so co-sleeping but hoping this will pass soon. Kinder gym today so hope to knacker him! And then possibly a library trip.

Flying I have three loads of DS washing (new bedding, bedding on his bed to change and clothes) plus a quick swipe round the living room and dining room.

Hope all well!

Aarg! Overslept!

How can I own 3 hair brushes and not be able to find any of them?

Thanks Bitchy

Ta-da!

School run - me and the DCs on foot
DH despatched separately in the car with 4 bin liners full of old clothes etc for school charity collection (it wouldn't all fit in my car with the DCs too).

That's my decluttering for the week

To do

Dishes in DW
Swish and swipe
Sweep floors
Hotspots
Check ballet kit (forgot last night)
What's for dinner
Go to work
Come home
Try new pilates DVD
School/Ballet/Football/Cubs

Ta Da
Up and functiong - well sort of
bins out
Couple hours of crochet
Consult plan for today drawn up before sleeping was an issue and consider where to lever in a nap.
1st load of laundry on
Be relieved that it looks like it didn't rain last night so turf should lift earlier.
Get folding up to date
load dw
wash stuff that doesn't go in dw
clean benches
layout clothes and breakfast stuff for ds
take out recycling
30mins nap/dose
make ds' lunch
2nd load into washing machine
School run

Need sleep so going to grab a proper length nap. See you about lunch time.

Morning .

To do:
ASDA - buy pillows
hoover
mop
Bedrooms

BBL

I am failing miserably to keep up with this thread

but this morning is not going too well: builder has just turned up and can't get through the alley shed, because of all the stuff piled up in there from decluttering my mum's flat, and other assorted rubbish. AARGH I just told him not to go in there, and he is in there dealing with toy prams and giant aeroplanes.

Done
three kids to school with signed stuff, clean stuff, homework stuff
cats cuddled
lcat litter cleared out

Builder is trying to make a new path/steps in garden so we can use it better and it is not always a sea of mud, but as usual I have bitten off more than I can chew as he is arguing about the colour of the bricks and refuses to have the bricks on offer at local Jewson's because he can find the "right" ones somewhere else. And not yet found them..

Feet good luck with your meeting, it is so difficult to get past the flannel isn't it, they are so well meaning, but to get promises made flesh is another matter.

Feeling a bit low atm, and I think the only solution is to get dressed, have a shower, abandon builder/mess and go to work. Yesterday was spent working at presbytery, and I got nothing done here as a result, but I did feel better while I was doing it.

Help! Just help!!!!!

Builders arrived out of the blue, outside house mending up a ladder. Tesco due by 11. Plumber (arranged) to fix shower upstairs at 1ish, puts that bathroom out of action so the friend and kids I have coming round at 1ish also will have to go through the pit of hell utility room and use the disgusting downstairs loo!!! Someone else said something about the downstairs one being dh's...mine too!!! And its awful!!!

Washing up to date (dishes and clothes) so one minor miricle ...just need to tidy utility, vacuum house, sweep and mop, dust and polish and clean both loos! Shower limescaled to gills but relatively clean...must take out shampoo etc...

Help!!!!

and dog walk to fit in after 11...all those bags to put away!!! and ordered no cake!!! bugger bugger bugger!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Snap swan! Just got to poo pick back yard as well and LITTER TRAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Trying and Swan - sympathies re builder troubles .

Bitchy - your lists are scaring me .

Both children at home today as DS2 woke up snuffly and sneezing and protesting that he hated school. Visions of home educating both (happy brothers sitting at the dining-room table, completing their Maths work without protest) soon evaporated. DS1 is cross that DS2 is here and has gone back to bed in protest; DS2 is cross that we have to walk a dog and also that I won't let him watch telly all day. He is also insisting that I have put his last remaining Easter egg away somewhere and is very annoyed that I have no memory of this and can't find it.

I'm in for a lovely day !

Done so far:

Get self ready
Breakfast for DS2
B/F refusal from DS1
Phoned school
Phoned friend to cancel play date
Managed to get DS2 playing and listening to a story CD
Emptied d/w
Reloaded d/w
Washed up pots and pans
Wiped kitchen surfaces
Wiped dining-room table

Luckily, DS2 is now creating a brick city - cross fingers this lasts.

BBL.

crisis cleaned utility and cloakroom. took more than 15 min. knackered...tesco arrived have to put in cupboards otherwise dogs will raid bags...builders told story about not getting a cup of tea for a fortnight at somones house...think themselves lucky they have had one from me...do they think i have nothing better to do?

got to clear out dh's wardrobe incase plumber needs to be in...but what if he doesn't may take a while to put back in...cancel friends visit? yes good idea. I'm about ready for a nervous breakdown

Trying: ah, crisis cleaning. I have the podcast, which is brilliant, because I'm a total sucker for being given clear instructions like "Clear off your kitchen counters" or whatever. (Actually, it works no matter what I'm actually doing. Weird.)

Deep breaths, it'll be done faster than you think. And drink water, because if your DH's wardrobe is anything like mine, there will be dust bunnies the size of kittens.

Have been on holiday (frabjous day!) so haven't been in the house to mess it up! Oh well, back to porridge now. :)

I think I need a podcast today along the lines of Stop Fannying Around And Get On With Some Work

Meeting with Head was good though (thanks Swan). If all that she says is being done is being done then things should settle down for DD and her class at last. DD SO SO happy yesterday as she will be doing literacy and numeracy hours out of her class with a small group every day for the next 6 weeks. She couldn't believe how quiet it was "You could hear a pin drop Mummy" :) Haven't seen her so happy and enthusiastic for a looooong time.

Will set timer and see how much work I get done in 15mins...

cancelled friend :( cleared garden for builders (so could fit ladder in ) tesco arrived, found chocolate.

feel rotten for cancelling friend :( don't think I could cope with strain...cuppa for builders, cuppa for plumber, cake and drinks for friend and 3 children...i'm not the fastest worker in the world...

right lunch packed time for dog walk and picnic...looks like rain

Sometimes you just have to deal with what you have got and get rid of what you can so that you are left with what you are able to cope with.

Good luck to those fof you with builders. I woud love an outside person to come in to sort the hell but no why employ someone when we can do it ourselves. Well yes we could but if you got round to it before now and now it is urgent you are on fucking holdiay

Toffee why are my lists scaring you? You were the queen of lists. And if you read them there are still a lot of non things on them (eg eat chocolate/think etc)

Feel better for some sleep about to get up again and get cracking with the hell. need to do a tip run at 2:30pm so can be back in time to get ds from school. Car will need cleaning before it gets used for training/meetings run later. It is full of mud and turf.

Coffee anyone?

Ugh, feel rough today. DH has gone off to London for a meeting so won't be back till late either. Been to the library and toddlers but ducked out early because of head full of cotton wool. Mentioned this to one of the helpers and DS2 got very concerned. "Where's the cotton wool Mummy - I can't see it!"

Friend coming over this afternoon but she's the kind who'll let me sleep in the corner while she plays with the boys... :)

Good luck to all those battling builders in the rain. Accepts gratefully from Bitchy - need a slug of brandy in it, I think!

dog walk done
plumber been and gone, need new shower
plumber asked to do multifuel stove, was something i had put off asking for various reasons...asked, he doesn't which is fantastic news!!! (know someone does it cheaper but didn't want to pee off this plumber i use all the time)
builder still here, didn't want tea and now he's singing dd2 asleep...

Feel a bit more relaxed now, was just goin to use time to put away shopping...how is that relaxing?

Sorry rambling but its nice to have people to ramble too, so embarressed about my house all the time, and always running late/disorganised its nice to know other people in the same boat who understand where I'm coming from.

Anyway, utility looks better for panic clean as does bathroom. Now how long do I let dd2 sleep for too long and she'll go to bed late...I think a nice cup of tea, read of book for 15 min then wake up :) sod the shopping!

Tis the fly lady way Trying. 45mins hard labour then 15mins to relax with a cupper.

I have an alarmingly large collection of bruises. Will list update later but must throw some clothes on and get ds. Hot soak in bath for back was much needed. As are the co-codamol.