Fledgling flyers - it's the month of May: if your house is a mess, try the Flylady way

[ToffeeWhirl]

Welcome to the May Fledgling Flyers' thread. A very big thank you to WhoKnows for guiding us through last month.

Are you living in CHAOS (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome)? Flylady's routines aim to help you take control of your home, tidying and decluttering and setting up daily and weekly routines that keep your home looking presentable. On this thread, we do our best to follow these routines (although we also chat quite a lot and sometimes forget why we're here ).

There are three methods of the Flylady system, depending on whether you are new to it or have been following it for a while:

1. Babysteps
2. Babysteps + 15 mins daily decluttering in current zone
3. Babysteps + daily missions

Following the babysteps helps to establish daily routines and build a weekly plan.

Today's babystep is to shine your sink.

Aargh, just when I thought Tuesdays couldn't get any worse we have just been told that DD's Rainbows is moving from Wednesday to Tuesday nights. The DCs might cope but I don't think I will, it's going to be a nightmare. Still, it's not until September so things may have changed with the other activities by then.

Anyway. Flying. Nul points for me today really. I have done a bit of paperwork, including switching gas and electricity suppliers over.

Tried a bit more Wii Fit, but it really isn't going to take the place of running, I did it with handweights today (bloody thing pointed out I'd put on 2lbs since yesterday, yes, that's the weights, not my fat arse, thank you) but it didn't really feel as though I'd done much afterwards.

Flying - I think I said this last time you talked about your proposed move, but I was very scared of leaving my precious career thinking I would never get it back, but it got to the point where something had to give and in the end I walked away without a backward glance because the time was right (and I got voluntary redundancy). Is there any chance you could wangle redundancy? Although it doesn't sounds as though you will need the extra cash, it puts closure on things and gives you a nest egg of your own, which might make you feel less dependent on DH, even if you aren't spending it, it is money which you have brought into the family.

Toffee - another cold sore sufferer here, I have heard good things about the laser zapper but it is ££, mind you tubes of Zovirax and compeed patches aren't cheap either. I didn't know they did night time ones, but swear by the day time ones, for me they don't speed up healing but make it far less of an annoyance, both looks wise and pain-when-you-catch-them-on-something wise.

NickNacks - poor DS, hope he is OK now. What happened to give him the black eye?

Swan - hope the engineer appreciated your efforts in the bedroom

Bitchy - cheers, don't mind if I do.

Foad -

Blue - CBA here too today

Carpe - enjoyed the image of your DS sitting reading the Flylady book....

Waves at Lauren, Engels, SC, Castle, MoreCats, Linzer, PA, anyone else who's around. Has anyone seen Trying - , she seems to have disappeared.

Babystep 16 is a missable one: read an email from Flylady.

Tomorrow's mission is to declutter in the current zones (bathroom and guest room).

The kid's challenge, for those who feel like training their children in the ways of Flylady , is here.

Straight off to bed now, as I have an 8.30 meeting tomorrow morning with the LEA at DS1's school .

Night all.

Just popping in to mark my place before I grab a shower (took me ages to read it all!)

Back with personals/lists/kitchen sink (shiny of course! ) later if DS allows! Toddlers today, so it might be much later!

Morning all!
Decided to give my morning run a miss today as I need to get to work a bit earlier today. Have managed today's babystep already! Read an email from Flylady - easy, am getting a lot of those!
Finding some days easier than others!
Sometimes I just feel so tired when I get in from work, make dinner, clean up (no dishwasher, and dh goes off to work after dinner and never helps with cleaning up - though he is great in lots of other ways)
Concentrating on the babysteps, working on control journal and the odd burst of decluttering. It's definitely helping, and I feel good got sticking with this. Really enjoying the thread! Thanks Toffee and everyone else!

bitchy I'm intrigued. What sort of training are you doing? It seems to be in Olympic proportions!

Morning all full day off today so there is a chance some flying MIGHT get done!

To do:
Put another lot of DD laundry away
Clean bathroom
Wash bathroom mat and hand towels
Take DD swimming- after popping to shop for new life vest
Walk dog
Sweep and scrub kitchen floor
Clean inside of windows

That's it! There's not a great deal that needs doing really. I need to start painting too but logistically it's a nightmare with a DD who gets where a bad smell wouldn't!

Whoknows Just getting head round all the to and fro-ings after school makes one feel backed into a corner. I've learnt the hard way that I have to try and reduce stress on those days, although it is now a 1000 times easier because I can leave two kids in the house whilst dropping another off. I think it is just how meals and homework get squeezed on those days, on the other hand I have been known to give my children sandwiches for supper when hardpressed, or fryups. Wednesday used to be a very stressful day for me, as it was piano day x 2, including all morning doing practice, and then trying to get out of house to help at Beavers and drag struggling ds2 there too. It is easier now he refuses to do Scouts, but funnily enough I see he's missing out not doing it

Done
two cheques in bookbags
School Assembly for an hour
wash in
Dh levelled some of soil yesterday

Todo
tackle planting up pots and bagging up rubble just know I am not going to manage it without tears of frustration at not being able to lift things I used to be so good at heavy work!
House is a mess but going to ignore it as I have to plant those poor plants or they'll expire...

Back from a productive early meeting at DS1's school. Now have to tackle tidying up and decluttering before cleaner gets here, not to mention my mum who will be here any minute.

morning all.

ds has just started commando crawling so mission today is to clear everything from under the coffee table.

bank holiday here so have had a morning run and now heading out to do some gardening.

Moved several bags of rubble in garden
and treetrunks
emptied some old compost

now to tackle the heavy sweeping of mud encrusted patio

only an hour before I have to go into the library!

toffee will answer your pm, which I've just noticed haven't been up to date with computer recently and email notification must have got lost in my email pile up7

Posting while sitting in car outside house as DS "drives" me places.

Have put timer on phone for countdown so he's time limited as he needs a nap or at least I need some peace!

To/ta-da:
Morning routine - done
Make chilli for dinner - done and cooking in slow cooker
Washing for us - done
Washing for DS
Strip and wash bed
WAH job - done
Toddlers - done
Make shopping list and go to supermarket

Not too bad a list really.

Hi
Can I join you all? My house is an embarrassment and I feel quite ashamed really - it could be lovely but I just seem to move clutter around rather than making any progress. I'm either stressed out by it all and try to clear it all in the space of a few hours (making myself more stressed in the process), or I'm feeling so demoralised I can't be bothered.

I'm hoping this thread is the answer!!

at your Ds carpe!

I swapped swimming for butterfly world this morning, so have just got back. Off to go do some flying while DD naps

Cross posted, huge waves to maggie! Just jump straight in! Best place to start is to shine your sink seeing a clean dish free sink inspires you to clean else where...and clean spreads! (or it's supposed to! )

Hi All - we are back from hospital and DDs operation went well -early signs of vision improvement very good - time (and loads of eye drops) will tell. Thanks for all your good wishes - I have spent the morning a while catching up on thread as have been minus Internet whilst away :(

Downside of DDs improved vision is that she had noticed the cooker is in need of cleaning and that my hair is very grey ( bit Tongue to prevent from saying because of all the worry of her lately and also because cannot leave her to go to hairdresser and CBA too busy to do self)

No flying here - am about to start on washing mountain as have all stuff from hospital to do and DH didn't do load of bedding I asked him to do whilst we were away - let him off due to stress of DDs op and not being able to be with us and having to phone my Mum every evening He did heat up cook our meal last night hosital food was better

Glad you meeting with LEA went well toffee - it's good to see you have a supportive school/LEA - wish I could have said same over last few months but HomeEd is right thing for DD at moment at least. Lots of science/biology being learnt ChezMoreCats at the moment

Too many other personals to catch up with but have read all. Won't even be lurking in naughty corner much but have left large (shop bought - the shame!) chocolate cake for those lurking in there - feel free to use my special cushion in my absence

Cross posted AGAIN! Glad DD operation went well cats

Hello everyone. Very busy on here. HOpe you are all OK.

Ascension holiday here today and tomorrow, so dd off school (although she has bad cold) and dh on business trip to London. Enjoying an unusually peaceful day after a fabulous evening out at my friend's house last night. Sounds awful to say it, but I very rarely go out socialising without dh and it made a really nice change!!

We were supposed to be travelling today but dd feeling grim, I'm quite tired and um, we had some new furry arrivals yesterday, so I am quite glad to be here, pottering about and cooking.

Anyway, after much research and umming and ahhing ... we finally, against all advice, decided to acquire two rabbits ... who are just settling in. They are absolutely gorgeous and although I am prepared for every eventuality, it's still rather nerve-wracking as it's all new territory for me (if tehy were horses or guinea pigs, I would know exactly what to do!) But it's early days .. will post pics on my profile once I get sorted and I have a thread http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/super_furry_animals/1472215-Bunnies-or-more-guinea-pigs-Need-to-decide-today here under pets/furry animals if any of the bunny-knowledgeable among you has any advice!

Interesting to read how many of you are horse-sharers or owners on here btw. I am v [envy!! I have considered share and loan arrangements but as dd and I would probably be sharing anyway, I think I would prefer to wait until we have the appropriate facilities ourselves. Have two years to achieve my joint ambition of a horse and a proper veg patch by the time I'm 50!

Thanks for cake Morecats and it's great to hear that op went well and your dd's sight is showing signs of improvement already. It must be such a relief for you.

A warm welcome to MaggieMagnolia I'm in the same boat as you and this thread is great for motivation and support and chats about everything but housework Jump right in and if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask.

Take it steady Whoknows [stern look over pince nez]

Good going with rubble Swan

Sorry - got to dash - got to check on my various concoctions bubbling on stove

Back later with more personals

Huge waves to eveyrone in meantime!

Rabbit thread link again here

Just me again...

Ta da:
Took DD to butterfly world
Walk dog
Swept and washed kitchen floor
Shined sink
Washed dog bowls and mat
Cleaned bathroom and bathroom floor- put mats and towels in the wash
Cleaned all mirrors and indoor windows
Washed down all doors and steps
Put DD laundry away

Most of this i have managed to get done as DD has been asleep since we got back from butterfly world! Off to go declutter a draw in my bedroom- I did DDs last week- she has two EMPTY draws

You are on a roll lauren!! v. good going!!

You've been really productive today as well Carpe, especially considering you are still in recovery mode and aw at your chauffeur ds!

Engelsmeijse I am doing similar exercise with rabbit-proofing! (Guess we can speak to one another in English now we have both established our origins !! )

Glad the meeting went well Toffee

Great the thread/system is working for you Castlelough really good to hear positive feedback - us old-timers need a bit of inspiration from time to time

nicknacks hope your ds1's eye is OK? What a horrible thing to happen.

flying I can see it really IS going to be a v. diff decision to make given the 10-15 yr commitment span. Good luck with your musings ....

Hope your muscles not protesting too much Bitchy¨

Good luck with new exercise regime next week Foad

Huge waves to PA Ellie Linzer Trying Honu and everyone else I may have inadvertently missed ...

Carrot and butter nut squash soup done
Potato and parsnip bake done
Apple compote simmering
Nigella's halloumi and sweet potato bake prepped and ready to go
one load washing done and hanging on terrace
rabbits played with done

some delicious veggie food there SC

I have to admit I know nothing about rabbits, although we had a beautiful English male somethingorother when I was a child, in a very small garden in London, unfortunately he escaped into communal garden. My mum was very fond of him. He had an enormous run, filled to the eaves with lettuce every day, by bedtime it had all gone Unfortunately my mum was very keen on cats, and I think rabbits and cats (as you will know from Beatrix P) don't mix...

Have planted three enormous pot bound shrubs, but that has nearly killed me , laid out ds1's clothes for a residential trip (luckily the older the better, so no ironing required)
made toasted cheese for ds1
Library postponed till tomorrow as she had a helper today by chance
washing upstairs

going to tackle rubble again now, rubbish men coming tomorrow which is incentive; our tip won't take rubble

watched Tom Hanks in Cast Away last night on a whim - completely grippingly edited, emotionless, no music, pitiless nature. His sufferings trying to make a fire and split a coconut have resolved me always to have a magnifying glass and a pocketknife

no flying today, except a run and one hour in the garden working, followed by 2 hours in the garden reading and falling asleep . Have only just done the washing-up

Drinking a nice cold beer (well, it IS bank holiday after all) and resolving to do better tomorrow.

Just drinking some with mum and DH, whilst waiting for dinner to cook (oven-baked risotto) .

The cleaner has made my house look lovely . I have done some knob-polishing .

Will be back later with links.

at toffee

Toffee can you go back to using capitals for your name please?

Now you're all lower case, you're not highlighted as thread starter so I can't find the baby steps... well, I mean, I could read them by reading the whole thread I suppose but that's hard work

Am pissed off with myself today. Decided to go swimming again, misread the timetable and there are clubs on so I can't. Luckily I checked before I left. Still at myself though!

Carpe - you have to be careful of that at our local swimming pool, there's a naturist's club one night

Toffee - yes, please change back before you post the links or I will never find them

Not much Flying here, another work day, followed by DCs tennis. DS could not be persuaded to play at all tonight so we left at the end of DD's session, the pair of them then played beautifully in the garden for about an hour. I think all the activities are getting a bit much for DS, he is too wide awake at bedtime (especially after Cubs) and getting tired.

DH is playing Donna Summer's Greatest Hits in the other room, sad to hear she has died today, her music takes me right back to my teenage years.