October-fest: a fledgling (at best) might spruce up its nest (then take a rest?).

[strictlycaballine]

Welcome to the October 2012 Fledgling Flyers thread. Park your mops, buckets, microfibre cloths, golden dusters and spiders-web-removing-implements here!

A huge "thank you" to Whoknows and Pushme for leading us throughout September!! (Hope you are recovering well Whoknows - take it steady!)

If your 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, support and along the way.

This little-and-often system is designed so that you can follow a series of steps and routines each day (which gradually become second nature) in weekly designated zones of the house; defining and minimising housework - which in theory should leave you with more time to do other more interesting things instead! At the same time it is intended to reduce that panicky "rabbit in headlights" feeling when you are overwhelmed and everything needs doing all at once. No problem if you miss a day or two; just jump right back in and it will all come around next month again anyway!

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 steps and routines using a three-pronged approach (dependent on the stage everyone is at):

• start or repeat 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.

[And if you are really enthusiastic and have finished decluttering - you can go on to detailed deep cleaning in each zone.]

More info here on getting started, and the flylady system here and here Don't be put off by the barf-tastic language of the site - the underlying system is sound.

All welcome!!

Bugger. I've not shone my sink......

Just checking in [-hoping Trazzle is sleeping]

Waves to Sowornout

Morning all!

toffee a pampered chef party is a bit like a Tupperware/ body shop/ Anne summers party but the lady comes and cooks you your tea using all her pampered chef gadgets and cooking utensils, then shows you the catalogue and you spend a small fortune on stone wear roasting dishes and measuring cups and cheese graters that you dont really need it was nice to do something different though and I got fed!

My thoughts are with trazzletoes!

Just routines and dog walking here as the house is clean and it's the weekend

BBL!

Oh, and my step dad landlord came to look after DD and the first thing he said was "wow the carpets come up clean" I proudly told him its not getting cleaned until a week on Monday

Hello all This thread is amazing tazzlesthinking of you

Thank you all, trazzletoes my thoughts are with you, and your little soldier, hugs.

Well this morning I woke up to ultimate chaos, my 6 and 4 year old decided it would be a great idea to use the sofa as a bouncy castle so there are now cushions all over the floor and the segments have come apart, and coffee table has been shifted about... darn boys!! so 2 time outs each later and the threat of the third + not being allowed to sit on the sofa if they do it again, and they are now shooting things the house with nerf guns, delightful, lol roll on 10 am when they can burn off some energy outside. They are now doing the cushions.

Well I think somewhere in dps unconciousness, he knew that the entrance hall was zone 1 and last week tidied and put shelves up to clear the table of computer accessories, (or it may be the fact he wants to buy a new computer). so I dont have to worry about getting this zone done from scratch .

I still have my control journal from last time (approx 2 years ago) so unless anything has changed, I could work off that.

Hi all nearly dropped off the thread entirely, partly because the work/builders combo has all been a bit much and partly because I have felt a bit funny posting normal chat when trazzle is having such a terrible time.

No battery on my phone for a long post but will be back later with a massive list!

Morning all,

Have been thinking of you trazzle Hope you got some sleep.

Lauren that sounds like my kind of party. My SIL has had 2 parties where they seel cleaning products which wasn't quite exciting enough for me (plus she's teetotal so not even a Big mistake - everyone knows that a few glasses of makes you buy things you don't really need

Am sniffling away, so after such a hectic week am going to take it easy this weekend and focus on tidying up digital and paper clutter rather than anything physical.

Ta da
Food shopping and meal planning for the week
Checked the central heating (strictly speaking DH did this, must it's been on his to do list for a few weeks and I DID pass him several wrenches and screwdrivers!)
Yesterday's washing dried and folded
Lot of washing on

To do
washing up
start spreadsheet for household expenses
evites for friends
order DS birthday cake

have a good day everyone (raining hard here so definitely an indoor day!)

Agree Pushme it doesn't feel right does it to be posting about trivial daily routines when Trazzle and her family are going through such an awful ordeal. Good luck with your list.

Gossip sounds as if you have your hands full there!

Congrats on your step-dad's reaction Lauren you've obviously been blitzing well!

Waves to Sowornout and Mymums

To do:
finish morning routine (late start) inc dw, wm, s&s
shopping for lunch tomorrow (guests)
prep for lunch tomorrow
school uniform wash
ballet wash
table cloth ironing
art exercises
on-line order packing
letter
boudoir 30 mins decluttering
home office 30 mins decluttering
75 mins paper decluttering (catching up from last five days)
evening routine
early bed

Have been waiting for rain to clear before I go out and do the shopping but think I'll be waiting all day, so had better get on ...

Have written my fly xmas list with a view to catch up to it this week, hope you got a bit of sleep trazzle

x posts

Hi to Engels glad you are feeling a bit better; good luck with admin declutter

thanks sc Finally stopped raining here. Am full of cold today, but feeling more able to face the world emotionally

washing up done, washing now in td

Gossip , you reminded me of the Xmas flythread and am now getting excited (and organised!). Have so many events to get through before Christmas this year (DS's 1st birthday, Dsis's wedding, Sinterklaas) that I don't want Christmas to get pushed aside until it's too late!

Waves to all. Thanks for good wishes. Conference was great, and reminded me why I love London, and why I live elsewhere!

Need to get the house straight again after one day of just DH and the boys - incredible!

Hope you got some sleep, Trazzle.

Arghhhh! Haven't been on for ages because I was on holiday and had no Internet and now... Now... Now... The builders are in and I am covered in mud and don't even have space to dry a pair of DS's pants (age 3-4)!!!
Arghh
Arghh
Arghh!!!

OI! will you please stop being silly? Yes, this is world-shattering for me, but life goes on. Ok?

DH's family are staging an intervention on my house tomorrow to totally de-germ it. Gulp.

I will need to become a fully-fledged Flybaby by Monday. Wish me luck!

PS. If you're going to do any luck-wishing in this direction, I guess you know what aspect of my life needs the most luck. And it's not cleaning.

Omg, trazzle, it's a bit of a desperate way to get the cleaners in!

So glad the chemo has started - you've been in my thoughts since earlier in the week. It sounds as though everything is coming together in RL and everyone is pulling for you and ds. Stay strong x

I was thinking, that although it feels somehow slightly wrong to keep chatting as normal whilst one of the Fledglings is dealing with life changing events, at the same time a bit of light hearted chatter and business as usual is also a good thing in order to provide a little distraction. Trazzle - I hope that would be ok? We're all here for you and hope that even if it only makes the slightest bit of difference the Flylady routines will help with your increased housework burden. Thank goodness you have family support too. Sorry, I am waffling a bit. Every best wish to DS.

hoorah, so I have brought myself 2 shiny new notepads... (I have a list thing going on, which is why I like flylady) for my xmas flying whoop :), dp has promised to do kitchen so apart from laundry, I'm not touching it and I did my morning routine this morning, except for kelly's mission and zone and kitchen.
I have done a bit of shopping, (ds3 has just put me in jail, no typos whilst in handcuffs though) including a new laundry basket, much to dps' amusement !!!, im feeling positive and i'm going to get on with my xmas things whoop.

Thinking of you Trazzle and will keep everything crossed that your DS can come home for a couple of days and that the treatment zaps those rogue cells into oblivion.

Yesterday DD and I had a lazy day at home (school inset day) but got covered in glue and cotton wool doing a poster for a homework project.

I cooked her and DH a sausage casserole for tea and me a lentil dahl. DH then got the humph as when he said all my dish needed was some chili to make it tasty I told him it was made for ME not HIM!

We seem to be drifting apart and I can't find the energy to do anything about it . I think I'm still trying to adapt to him being home full time after working away during the week for the last year. I miss watching what I want on the TV and eating pasta for tea most days.

Today I dropped DD off at a Brownie event before I went and bought myself a little Smartphone. Load of washing has been in and hung to dry and I'll have the "Big Kitchen CleanUp" later (after Strictly) as DH is cooking.

my head now hurts thinking about xmas budgets and its scary, now i'm looking at it all on paper it seems so much. ahhhhhhhhhhhh

Tazzle your last post was very generous, best wishes to you and yours
Gossip baby steps as fat fairy reminds us often.
Wing flaps to everyone else last week I tried to stick with zones and ended up in choas _ not sure how poss lack of routines due to cold and too much focus on zone (must remember baby steps)

Evening. Its my dps birthday today so apart from the morning routine, some washing and cleaning out the guinea pigs there has been no flying in the mercury household. Just thought I would pop in and say hi to everyone. All the talk of Christmas flying is beginning to scare me. I think Im going to read through the thread tomorrow and start getting organised.

No flying here today.
DH still out, has a rest day tomorrow though. Not sure how long the search will go on on this scale...

Have...
Cooked two massive Macaroni cheese
Cooked healthy dinner for DS and me
Taken DS2 to stage school

Could do better...

Thinking of all of you having tough times

Evening lovely fledglings ...hope you've had a good day

Yes, great generosity of spirit there, as ever, from Trazzles (have posted on your other thread) sending extra strong positive wing flaps from over here though as well!! Hope you sleep better tonight too xxx

[I'd be more than gulping at thought of in-laws coming to clean btw - shouldn't laugh - but I find the thought pretty mind-blowing - not that mine have a clue when it comes to housekeeping though!]

Agree Whoknows a bit of ordinary distracting everyday chit chat about microfibre cloths and lace up shoes not altogether a bad thing. Hope you are profiting from a restful w/e btw.

Engels glad you are feeling a bit more chipper. I did lots of online Christmas shopping last month when I was supposed to be decluttering the home office and boudoir so I am fairly organised with regards to presents this year without having meant to be ifyswim !! Hope your cold clears up sharpish.

London trip sounds fab Blue (I miss it too) Hope house now restored to order again

Welcome back Shiftyfades Good to 'see' you! Sorry about the mud and building disruption though - must be tough going, esp. in this weather. Hope your ds has his pants restored to him eventually

[finds key to release Gossip from handcuffs ] YOu certainly sound up for the whole Christmas caboodle - well done with the notepads! It's frightening how soon it is - so much happening between now and then - getting that rabbit in headlights feeling already!! So it's good to be reminded about starting early and budget planning etc etc

It must be hard adjusting to your dh being back home full time Dizzy I know I relish the evenings I have on my own when dh travels - as long as it's not too often. Hope Strictly was good - I was so absorbed in cooking - I managed to miss it (v. annoying!) Arf at glue and cotton wool!!

Yes, baby-steps are the key foundation steps Mymums Hopey cold has gone/goes away soon

Hi Mercury many happy returns to your dp. Hope you both have a lovely evening. I didn't know you had gps!!! I absolutely love 'em. (Had two girl gps who we sadly lost earlier in the year. Now have rabbits who we also love - but who are almost silent - so miss all the lovely wheeking when we open the fridge door!!) What do you have?

Huge wing flaps to Madwoman and everyone else I've missed!

To do:
finish morning routine (late start) inc dw, wm, s&s done
shopping for lunch tomorrow (guests) done
prep for lunch tomorrow done marathon cook
school uniform wash done
ballet wash done
table cloth ironing done
art exercises NOPE
on-line order packing NOPE
letter done
boudoir 30 mins decluttering NOPE
home office 30 mins decluttering NOPE
75 mins paper decluttering (catching up from last five days) NOPE
evening routine nearly done
early bed er no

Didn't manage to do any decluttering or art but was cooking solidly from 1pm until now (friends for lunch tomorrow) so not surprising really. Feeling fairly well organised and did loads of laundry too so not too bad really.

Back in a mo with links