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.

I'm sneaking over from the April thread which I only just stuck my head into last night

I have crashed and burned the last month or so, but decided when I looked around my pigsty of a house yesterday that I have to earn my wings again.

I shall be initiating babysteps and adding in a couple of room rescues.

Morning all. Today we start on the babysteps. These introduce newbies to the Flylady routine and are also essential revision for those of us who have fallen by the wayside . The first babystep is to shine your sink. Coming down to a shiny, clear sink gets each day off to a good start.

This week we are working in two zones: zone 5, living room; and zone 1, entrance, front porch and dining room. Today's reminders, for those who are old hands at this Flying business, are here (newbies: please ignore this). Scroll down for today's mission - it's a great one for those of us who know the satisfaction of using Magic Erasers as it involves wiping marks off the walls in Zone 1.

Tuesday is plan and play day - organise your week. Once you've done that, do something nice for you.

There is a daily Flylady kid's challenge here - think I might try that with DS1 this morning.

Hope you all have a great day.

Yep, signing on again despite lack of both posting and flying last month. We need a 'must do better' emoticon! Bitchy please don't declutter the Expresso m/c from the naughty bar whatever else goes, and Trying your posts are just pure food porn! JustTrying I have such sympathy with the 'everything thrown in together in a hurry' scenario - I only have to look into my lounge to see the results of that!

OK - the tada! The 'bring forward' system of filing is working for me . The heap of paper junk is only half what it was a week or so ago and No More is being added to it. New papers and the 'today' sheets from the file are dealt with first and then the rest of my 15 mins is spent reducing the pile.

Signing in to the naughty corner

Thanks Whoknows for the last thread :) Your house must be sparkly by now!

Toffee thank you for taking over!

Done
Not much

To Do
Panic - got someone over
Vacuum lr
S&s bathroom
clear kitchen surfaces of pots!
wash up
sort out some washing to keep on top!!
sweep floors
mop floors
got 1 HOUR!

Annnnnndddddd gooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!

Done:

Morning routine
School run
Delegated washing up to DH
Delegated his education to DS1 for today
Tried (and failed) to get DS1 to do the Flylady kid's challenge
Received and speed read book on getting your kids to eat 5-a-day (DS2 is on fruit and veg strike)
Menu planned for week ahead
Ocado order (took ages)
Fainted at the cost
Checked emails
Felt sorry for self (not feeling well - some sort of virus)

Going to have some soup, then have a quick nap before school run number 2. Bringing DS2's friend back to play too. Then walking neighbour's lovely dog with DS1 at 4pm .

Did you manage your crisis clean in time, Trying?

Know that sleep before midnight? Yeah didn't happen. I have a new book. Was a bit too good to put down. I was a stuggle even at 5am. Going to have to be strict about when I allow myself to pick it up.

List up date:
Ds' up and ready for school
Remind ds of tv/computer ban
Up and functioning?
Remove turf - won't remove turf in the rain
load of washing
Iron craft project.
Check measurements.
Cut blocks
figure out what to do with wrongly cut blocks
URGENT paper work
tackle my room
put my clothes away
finish packing ds' bag for weekend's trip
unload dw
reload dw
washing up
make up new batch of Jelly
stitch button on bag
make loop for fastening
label trousers no idea how these escaped being labelled
Load car for tip run. to be honest can't be bothered

Need more coffee. Still tired. Tempting to go back to sleep for another hour before the school run.

Closest I seem to come to flying is panic cleaning and watching everyone from naughty corner

Last week was busy with tearing my hair out sorting out DDs health/education. Sent in de registration letter Wednesday so we are now officially Home Educating - :o Thursday had to travel to different city for Hospital Appointment and - at last- we have date for DD's first eye operation :) - 15th May!
So yesterday Home Ed consisted of her looking up films of her type of op. On the interweb, zooming in (only way she can see them) and me looking away
Not much flying anticipated this month but I do spend a lot of time panickingplanning how I'm going to achieve my flying when we can get back to having a life (in June I hope).

Did make some Choc chip muffins with DD this morning - will leave some in the naughty corner - going to have a then do MIL's online shop. How does one old lady eat so many KitKats in one week?

Congratulations on de-registering, MoreCats. I think I've 'got' who you are now . I'm sorry the school were so unsupportive. Incidentally, my 'nan' was always eating KitKats and always used to send me home with one. Must be an old-lady thing!

Bitchy - am dying to know what the book is that kept you up all night!

Managed a half-hour kip before the school run. Was surprised by a lovely bouquet of flowers from a friend before I set off . Am now home with two chattering six-year olds. How two little boys can talk so much amazes me! DS2 complains that his friend talks too much, but he certainly gives him a run for his money.

Off to make a . Anyone else want one?

Thanks Toffee, tea sounds like just the thing. I too am listening to a pair of 6 year olds chattering (they are in the loo together with the door open), girls in my case. DS is at football. The sun is shining. So is my sink!

Thanks Toffee I'm in! How are you? :)

Hi, NickNacks. I'm OK, thanks, (fighting a lurgy today, but not too bad).

WhoKnows - found my two six-year olds playing with Lego stark naked! Have persuaded them to put their pants back on before the mum comes to collect.

List update (dump and run sorry)

Ds' up and ready for school
Remind ds of tv/computer ban
Up and functioning
Remove turf not in the rain
load of washing
Iron craft project.
Check measurements.
Cut blocks
figure out what to do with wrongly cut blocks
URGENT paper work
tackle my room significant progress being made
put my clothes away
finish packing ds' bag for weekend's trip
unload dw
reload dw
washing up
make up new batch of Jelly
stitch button on bag
make loop for fastening
label trousers no idea how these escaped being labelled
Load car for tip run. cba tbh
Sort out membrane that is soaking
clean laundry room
half hour crafting
get ds to sort through his belts and cull those that don't fit or he doesn't like

First day back and I survived, hurrah! Have applied decluttering principles to work and for the first time ever don't have any emails in inbox, I've filed them or deleted. Also threw away loads of crap and folders which I never look at. Was actually quite nice to see everyone and wear nice clothes, although by the.time I left the house, dd had got yoghurt handprints on trousers.

Minimal flying, but I did.do exercises before I left, I've got clothes out and clothes ready for tomorrow. Sink shined and I'm in bed, must sleep not look at phone once I've posted. Easier today as PIL came to me, have to get both out of the house tomorrow, separate drop offs and a.collection of colleague to lift share, so we'll see how that goes.

honu what's the bring forward filing approach?

That should have been food ready for tomorrow!

In complete contrast to the message i have been delivering tonight Parent's Evening, today I have mainly aimed low as flying is concerned. I have done sod all but I have survived a hectic Parent's Evening, got in at 7, played with dc's, got takeaway and watched Holby City. Total absence of flying but I am hoping that toffee will forgive me.

I am now going to bed in the knowledge that I have at least managed to post if not managed to fly. Tomorrow is another day and all that.

Wow, so many posted while I was writing that!
Would also like to know Honu? :)

Minimal flying today but I made a start!

• DD and me up and out to school
• Taggie made for customer and sent off
• Quick trip to supermarket then made 2 lots of mince for dinner
• DW unloaded
• Sink shined
• Sorted recycling so utility room a bit more usable
• Swept kitchen floor
• Took DD swimming after school
• DD tucked up in bed after reading her another chapter of Harry Potter
• Clothes sorted for the morning

Evening. Have done routines but no other flying today. Tomorrow is house bleugh day so will hopefully be better.

Waves to all. Good night!

List for Wednesday:
Urgent paperwork that I didn't actually do today
meeting in next town
finish off my floor
button and loop on bag
fasten off ends on ufo
DW - unload reload
Washing up
Work on craft project
turf
Load car with stuff for tip
tip run
bonfire
Clean bath
Stones

Right now for that early night. Really am shattered today.

Had an early night by falling asleep with DS2, so am now wide awake.

.

Time for a round up:

So far this month, we are joined by IAmBooyhoo, Feetheart, WhoKnows, PA, BlueEyes, dashoflime, ucasfracas, MushroomSoup, thewaffler, Bitchy, elliepac, Saphiesgirl, Engels, dizzyday07, Tryingtoget, Honu, MoreCats, NickNacks, JustGetting and BlueEyes.

ellie was busy educating the nation's youth and has just survived Parents' Evening. (Flaking out in the naughty corner is definitely permitted!)

thewaffler completed her first day back at work and used her Flying finesse to tackle decluttering in the workplace.

Saphiesgirl is determined to Fly this month.

Engels is also trying again.

WhoKnows was at work today, but completed her Flying routine beforehand and has shined her sink.

dizzy plans babysteps and room rescues after crashing last month. She is off to a good start with a shiny sink and clothes laid out.

Honu is intriguing many of us with her successful 'bring forward' filing system.

Trying was last seen trying to complete a crisis clean in one hour (we all know the feeling).

Bitchy failed in the 'early-to-bed' rule thanks to an unputdownable book last night. In spite of this, she made significant progress on her room rescue today.

MoreCats is celebrating deregistering her DD from school. Her DD has an eye op on 15th May (support and available for you here!).

NickNacks is back in.

JustGetting is coping with building work and legal wrangling and still has time to help her hoarding friend declutter her house . She revealed her DS's embarrassing Lego injury

Today's babystep is to get dressed to lace-up shoes. This is a controversial step, with Fledglings divided over whether this works to motivate or not. I have always been against it, but recently have started keeping my shoes on downstairs and have to admit, reluctantly, that it does seem to have some weird effect on me and put me more into work mode .

Wednesday is anti-procrastination day (personally, I'm putting this off till next week ).

Today's flight plan is here. Your mission is to declutter your entrance hall (scroll down the link to find it).

Today's kid's challenge is to empty his/her bin. I failed to persuade DS1 to do his challenge yesterday, but will try harder today. Actually, I should try it with both of them .

Going to try and get back to sleep. Bye for now.

Oh I'm awaking at a ridiculous hour drinking tea!
I didn't post yesterday as I'm bloody confused slightly unsure as to how this all works and I've only just found the links to FlyLady (thought you were all barking with your talk of flying!
Anyway, I'm up to date and flying and I'm ahead of schedule because my entrance hall is gleaming!

Welcome, MushroomSoup. I'm up too. Was meant to be going back to bed, then got hungry and started snacking. Am very impressed that you have a gleaming entrance hall already.