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!!

Gossip yes have twice annual clear out of clothes as the seasons change

Oh lordy, just realised I haven't posted anything about body clutter.

Um, I'm declaring 81.4 kg better than last week but not by much

Consils arf at one bottom!

really am dashing off now!!

How long does the weekly blessing take? Please don't say one hour.
thing on

It depends on how big your house is and what state its in tbh mine takes 2-3 hours but I have 3 kids and three cats too, and a dp crammed in a 2 bed terrace , so it gets messy quick, I also only touch the boys room once a week, minus laundry moving, else I start finding myself lost in the toy cupboard for 3 hours.

Legs and foot redressed, but resting everything today, as next week is countdown to removing all flood damaged stuff, and I need everything healed, so lots of planning, paperwork, maths, physics, and mending instead, here.

WhoKnows hope the infection?s cleared up and you can pace yourself.

Blue Glad it went as well as it could.

Nice news Aunty Swan hope you get to meet soon.

Sowornout you've a lot on your plate there, you?re not being selfish at all.

Toffee well done on dump run, I hope I catch your addiction.

Hi Consils, (unless you?re in the position to get a bigger house then) definitely throw the lot out! You don?t need the tangle of tights and single socks, so make room for the will to live, you do need that!

Consils home blessing takes me 1hr 30 mins minimum (and that's rushing and just ground floor) The theory is that it gets quicker each time as one declutters! Never get to that point though

[boring trivial rant digression]
just having a ggggrrrrrr moment. DD at friend's house and it was all clear when she went (because dh and I discussed it) that she had to be at home around 6pm-ish and not stay for dinner and beyond as friends had very kindly suggested because (a) she has to get back and be safely delivered to baby-sitter before dh and I head off out, (b) it's a school night, (c) she takes ages and ages to "settle down" before going to bed etc (d) she needs to pack up school back/chk hwk/prep for morrow before bed.

Anyway, inevitable has happened - dh there and asked if she can stay longer - and instead of saying "no" as agreed he has rung me in front of everyone to make the decision so that (a) I will remain in my role as wicked witch of the north and have to put up with the fall-out (b) he will remain fun daddy who "never says no"!!! Arrrgghhhh Wouldn't mind but this happens EVERY time ...

And breathe ....

Hope you are mending on all fronts Justgettingonwithit

[no more trivial rants this week I promise]

S/C rant away, please!

I hope you explained to him that he needs to man up, tell everyone he's capable of wearing trousers, honest, and him say no.

I've just tried to work out my weight in Kg for the first time, I think I'm declaring 68 kilos.

Consils I refuse to time it, as here it would just get depressing.

Have just seen the 'one bottom' comment.

That's my target weight Justgettingonwithit!! (Only x kilos to go ...)

I shouldn't complain really - he's a really good hands-on father - despite very full on job - just hates confrontation of any sort!!

He's going to be the one saying "no" next time though!!

I'm back! I am currently squished into the corner of the sofa whilst my DS is stretched all over the rest of it with his feet pushed up against me. But I'm loving every second of it. It's been a long time coming and DD hasn't taken the smile off her face since we picked him up

Last night's quiz seemed to be going OK until DD phoned up at 10.30pm in tears saying she couldn't sleep. Luckily we has finished the questions so I didn't feel to guilty rushing home to settle her. We had a bit of lazy morning before going for a muddy cross field walk before brunch and then heading home.

DD's swimming gala went OK. It was just 25m backstroke. She finished first in her heat but missed out on a top 6 place (17 girls in her age group 8/9yrs) so she was a little disappointed :( We stopped off at a pub on the way home for tea and she was falling asleep in the car on the way home!

Good news here!
My horse came in second today in his race !
Was dire weather conditions, and he hated the ground, but we are delighted with that result!
Not much flying done (except for picnic made and eaten by many!), as have been out all day, but have actually already laid out clothes for tomorrow (last night! - there's always a first for everything!) and have planned dinner for tomorrow and done an unbelievable amount of washing and ironing yesterday so I'm feeling content on the home front for now!
G'night all!

PS: for those wondering about the home blessing - I find flylady's podcast great. She reckons 60-70 minutes should do, if you are working fast. She talks you through it (7x10 minutes) and it keeps me on track. There is a link on her website. I downloaded it to my iPhone so I can stick in my earpieces and go off with the vacuum cleaner and still hear her!

I suppose it depends on the size of your house too..... we are in a small rented place - 2 bedrooms, kitchen/diner/sitting room in one, bathroom and one ensuite, hall, stairs and small landing. No babies yet unfortunately , just four-legged ones ( two cats, and a horse but dying to get a dog to add to the collection!)

Oh Consils very of hens.....
Maybe when we've managed to get into our own house I can buy one for some hens! Patience is a virtue I'm working on !
Welcome to the thread!
Goodnight to everyone else!

Bit of a moan here as I'm having a dispirited morning so far; not good for a Monday!

Brought DS downstairs (with another cold, poor lamb!) and deposited him in the sitting room - and looked about and thought "aaaaah toys!!!!!!"

It's mainly Duplo made up sitting everywhere (which DS doesn't play with other than to destroy!) and "big" toys like garages, indoor trampolines, but it's making the room look ridiculously messy. I'm going to have to do a clear out I think! DH keeps muttering about getting rid of toys befor Christmas, but DS does play with the stuff. I think I need to sort out a cupboard in his room so I can put stuff away and swap things about as needed. But that means I need to clean a cupboard...

Oh, and a good friend who has a DS the same age and who we see a lot of for play dates has announced that she is moving away. Argh! But, it led to a conversation with DH about DS and socialisation and a decision to send him to nursery for a morning per week - if I can get a place!

Anyway, off to grab a shower and start the morning routine - and I will put shoes on... I have Duplo to demolish

Just a quick post before we head out to zoo for DS's bday...

Body clutter - have lost 0.8kg so finally below 66kg. 65.6 now so MFP no longer reads "0lbs lost"!

Happy flying everyone.

Morning all, (yawn) my house is freezing, kids have just left for school, it turns out my central heating doesn't work and probably hasn't for a couple of year's, which was why I had to top the house up with mini electric heaters and an electric fire (the element has broke) however the hot water does, (no wonder my gas bill has been so low) so my first port of call is to ring the H.A. and get it fixed.

Then I have my morning routine, I'm pretty sure you all know it by now, and I have to do a bit of shopping too. Tomorrow's xmas shopping day, for ds1, he's given me a very specific list, and ds2 wants everything so I'm just going to get him lots of little bits to make it look like he has loads of stuff. I also need to find £50 worth of stuff for ds3.

Hope you all have a nice morning, will check back later :)

not having a good morning so far....

had a row with dh after Homeland (inevitable...these spy thrillers are so stressful...
angrily cleaned mud off shoes
unloaded dw
put out PE kit
found ds1's locker keys

and this morning, Dh was cross again with me for not getting up at 7am (long story, won't go into it)
Today is violin and PE day so
done
drove ds1 to school in plenty of time - his Monday treat when he is overloaded
did ds2 spellings with him
all three children off to school

cleaning lady is imminent [tension, tension] so will find some shirts for her to iron,and generally try and get my head around what needs to be done today...[everything]

Perhaps another cup of coffee

Three enormous frogs to eat first thing this morning, and not looking forward to any of them All long term problems I have put off dealing with...

oh no, cleaning lady is here, will have to try and appear motivated and professional

Rays of sunshine this morning...ds1 told me I looked like the witch in Tangled and ds2 made a video newsitem on his Kiddizoom which was hilarious. I think that will be his new interest, making little mini-films. He desperately needs an Interest atm, as he has become a bit of a screen junkie.

Seems I have both DC with me at home today . DS2 complained of a sore willy last night and this morning had to keep rushing to the loo, but then crying that it hurt. Uh oh. So he is off to the docs this morning, instead of school. He says he wants to join in the home ed with DS1 as well, so will try having them both at the table at the same time. Not sure how that will go though.

Great excitement in the Toffee household today - we are having a new fridge delivered. I have decluttered and defrosted the old fridge and then decluttered the kitchen too. Breadmaker has now been packed away in a cupboard and the clutter in the hotspot has been packed into a box for sorting. I have clear surfaces again!

SC - good to see I am ahead of myself with the mission for a change .

Consils - I think you should chuck the lot. You'll feel so much relief once you've done it. Then treat yourself to new socks and tights.

Right, need to get on with morning routine and put the rubbish out. This was my breakfast break.

I can't find the weekly blessing hour. I find the site hard to navigate. Could anyone provide a link, please.

My phone is playing up so this might mot work

www.flylady.net/d/daily-focus/daily-focus-monday/

It works, thst's the link you need Consils. I've bee doing this for three years and stll find the site hard to navigate