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!!

Oh no shifty! That's a nightmare. Hope you get it fixed quickly.

Ok, Ta da list

Morning jobs done
Signed our wills
Visited grandparents
Made tea
Made a pair of curtains.

Have a nice evening folks (she says, wings flapping frantically again).

ta da
dry two loads of washing
put on another couple of loads of washing
check bulbs in car
Get new bulbs fitted
check fluids in car
sort out packing list
Sort out hotel booking
sort out directions to hotel
sort out directions for meeting thingy on monday (I will be absent for a few days because of it)
sort out some printed sheets for ds
print out information for the meeting
Sort out books for ds to take away
sort out ds finding the games for his ds
Sort out child who is very whinney atm
sort out ds tidying up behind himself and next lot of activities - repeatidly.
fold washing
bath
Ironing
supervise ds constructing project plan.
Cook ds' tea
sort out oil for car
Up-date-calendar with visitor information
Supervise child starting to undertake research on internet and type up.
Hand washing
hang up on radiater clothes needed dry for tomo morning
Find bags for packing in
Pack ds' clothes
Pack my clothes
charge phone battery and change alarm volume.
Sort out plans for next week for when back

And that they say will have to be that. Stupid tired and need my bed.

I've not finished the week-worth of washing

DS has 3 pairs of trousers left...
Thankfully, DH and my work stuff is done.

Sigh... Cleaning the bathroom and doing the washing is all I can do with the house in this state.

Feel really down (not just wm) DH is working overtime all weekend and DS has been tired and tetchy all day. Might have to have a mahoosive large Baileys before I cry. Actually, I fancy going to bed

Then if you can, do. I am shattered after getting ready for tomo. And am going to grab an early night and just get up an extra half hour early tomo to finish every thing off.

See you all in a few days!

Nighty night bitchy, hope you get a good nights sleep (not surprised you're shattered).

toffee I have found that I now have a knack for spotting kids that are similar to ds1 myself, I have a group of real life friends, and a couple of those have a child similar to my ds too.

Didn't manage couldn't be bothered to sweep/mop kitchen or hoover downstairs today so I shall do that in the morning.

DH has bought and put up a house number plaque outside the door so it saves us having the developers Plot No. sign up any more

Hugs to the person making coffee for the builders, and clay soil sufferings

Whoknows have you checked with surgeon, I know you are very stoical?

ellie that's married life for you

Well, done
spent most of today either PTA-ing networking
or making a red taffeta swirly petticoat for dd's Fifties dress
and then taking dd to and from her Fifties party
and walking around in the rain, admiring other people's gardens

boys were v annoying
dd ws intermittently annoying
feeling of being snowed under remain!!! Bring on Dh giving up work sorry I meant working from home

house just a MESS. not cheered by the person who gave us a lift home telling me how his three kids "do" the kitchen after supper.

More running around tomorrow, dd has netball match, and ds1 is singing in Hampton Hill; also Mass. And loads of homework prodding.

'Include laundry in your daily routines'

Well, feckity feckity feck. Really.

Waving to all and apologies for lack of persona'ls, totally exhausted.
Got the insurance unit today, and have shifted loads over there, and cleaned some of the muddy residue, but the more we pull out the more there is, and wasn't able to get a van so have taped plastic sheeting all over the car and it?s all having to go in a hundred journeys backwards and forwards.
Not a very lovely job, and foots a mess and I've already managed to twist and pull something in my back, which I'm just praying will fix for the morning.

They are expecting us to have got everything damaged out, and be pulling out the last skirting boards by Mon evening.

Poor DS not coping well, and I'm torn between sympathy and frustration as we don?t have a choice, but it?s too many new things, and too much change and being expected to work to a pace. All not his strengths, so it?s all a bit fraught, but we've a couple of hours help tomorrow, which may help deflect some of it.
I did actually manage to shine my sink though!

His three kids 'do' the house after supper????? Swan, I just don't believe it. I wonder if his wife thinks they do too .

Shifty - oh no! Not the washing machine! That's not fair.

Bitchy - sorry you had an exhausting day.

dizzy - well done on house number plaque .

Gossip - there are quite a few of us on this thread .

sowornout - well done on your wills. We are doing the same ourselves any day now. It has been worrying me for ages (on my mental 'to do' list for several years ) and will be a relief when it's finally done.

lauren - well done on the decluttering.

issimma - am all in favour of overpriced beauty products myself, much to DH's despair.

Just - so sorry you are still going through all this, especially when your foot and back are in a bad way too . I'm really glad you have some help tomorrow. You deserve it.

Morning all!

Sorry to hear about your washing machine shifty! At least there wasn't mounds of washing left though! I know it doesn't stop the stress though

just that sounds like an absolute nightmare! You are holding up remarkably well!!

Just a list today, planning on a day full of playing with DD so it's mainly a naptime list!

To do:
Put DD laundry away
Put my laundry away
Clean kitchen floor
Clean out bag and car

Does everyone have CDs? How do you store them? Should I just throw them or music magpie? Or will I regret it?!

Lauren I put my CDs in shoe boxes or drawers. If they are out the kids destroy them, really they just take things out to "examine" them and don't put them back in covers. So I just have a few out at any one time.
We have loads though, and I've just started to get to stage of throwing some away which are too scratched.
Toffee it was the kitchen they did! He said it had taken many years of persuasion Theyare ages 12, 10 and 7. He said he was now putting them in charge of garden chores too . Very admirable. I think they both have a continental mindset which is more determined!
Just omg

done
early rising to get ds1 off on bus to his choir performance, breakfast, shower, clean clothes, check he got on the bus, and not left stranded
fed cats
chatted to ds2, persuaded him to get his own breakfast (new plan) and have a shower
row with dh over alarm setting
did a bit of minor rescuing, but my heart is not in it Did shine my sink last night though and do washing up and worktops
oh yes and yesterday I got rid of a bag of clothes to charity shop That had been in porch for a long time....

Good morning everyone. Sorry to be late getting back to this thread. Voluntary work Sat morning, concert yesterday afternoon, then entertaining last night (until 2.30 am). Today = church, help at child's party of friend, different friend for supper (who's passing through town). In between that, have done food shop, built rabbits new winter quarters, watched Frankel's last race at Ascot (which was thrilling - no other word for it - that horse has major presence), made spag bol sauce for Mon/Tues and am supposed to be getting house (partic boudoir) in order for new baby-sitter who will be looking after dd tomorrow and Tues while I will be out at art acad but so far have do no cleaning to speak of (except of rabbit hq) and have to finish school uniform/ballet/tennis washing for wk ahead and make several imp. phone calls. Gah!

Hope you are all OK!

Wishing you a belated but v. happy anniversary for yesterday Ellie (Hope teeth pulling did the trick!)

Ditto what Toffee said JGOWIT wishing you renewed courage/fortitude for the wk ahead ...

Sorry no more time for personals. Back with links in a mo.

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Baby-step no. 21 for Sun 21 Oct is here and ignorable as it happens looking at FAQ on Fat Fairy Website + usual routine consolidation etc

No zones or missions because it is the weekend but for those of you who want to get ahead, we will be in Zone 4 next week: the master bedroom. More info here

Sunday is renew your spirit day laughs hysterically

Continue to try and jettison unwanted paper clutter for 15 mins per day over the weekend.

Any qs - have a look at today's flight plan^

Meant to say, sorry about wm Shifty

Huge wing flaps to everyone else

so far today I have changed the cat litter (which kitten has immediately spread all over the hall floor) and cleaned it up of the floor
and sorted ds3's breakfast spillage out. its still very quiet in the gossip household, but ds1 will be back soon.

Have mainly dealt with DC and organised washing this morning. Hid DS1's XBox lead. Aiming to do more decluttering and enlist the DC's help (inspired by your continental friend, Swan ).

DH is at work today, so it's just me and the boys.

Hope you all have a good, spirit-renewing day.

Talking of wills, if anyone is thinking of doing theirs I posted this on another thread last week

Could I just point out that Will Aid Week is coming up, lots of solicitors participate in this scheme, they do the will and waive the fee but you donate to charity instead, the suggested amounts are £90 for a single will and £135 for a couple. We did ours this way last year and it was a lot more straightforward than I had thought. Will Aid

(Swoons at bitchy's list!)

I have done NOTHING today. I need a kick up the backside, but it's Sunday and I just feel shattered after a long week at work. I know I'm getting old.

So....DH is out, DS1 is home for weekend (but has gone to see friends at present). DD1 and DS2 are playing on the Wii (and falling out...sigh...one of them is 20 and one of them is 7!) DD2 (16) is cooking Sunday lunch, slightly optimistically I feel (but I'm jolly grateful).

She has laptop open on the kitchen table and tells me she is cooking a Sunday roast and cheesecake which will be ready in 45 mins.......only she's just asked me to put the oven on for her! 'It's one of Jamie Oliver's 30 minute meals' I'm told. Really? Goodness me, Jamie........I've never knocked up a Sunday roast in 30 mins but hey, I'm waiting to be impressed...(although, if it's chicken, I can see the lights of Salmonella City twinkling in the distance)

I need to:-

iron DS1s washing which he brought home
take him to train station
buy corks (where does one get these?) for a 'Crocodile Dundee' hat that DS2 wants for fancy dress next week
make another pair of curtains (and buy the ruddy curtain tape for them)
+
all of flylady's baby steps (none of which I've done yet)

Hi all!

Have spent the day with DM and Dstepdad and they have informed me they are getting this for DD birthday and Christmas www.gardenbuildingsdirect.co.uk/Summerhouses/BillyOh-4000XL-Lucia-Tongue-and-Groove-Summerhouse

I'm ridiculously excited and I'm off to Pinterest decor ideas instead of flying

Evening all. My house started the day looking fabulous (public areas anyway) and is ending it even cleaner than it was to start with as have had to mop my floors after the onslaught of Dutch children.

We've just had a party for DS's birthday with all of our friends and their families and I am so tired. DH's friends' kids are all wild! Complete gannets, wolfing everything in sight (and then asking me if I have any more), running around our tiny house and nearly knocking DS and another tiny one (15mo) over, trying to open all of DS's presents and new toys, sticking Sophie the Giraffe into a pot plant (I kid yee not), sucking on our sofa cushions (they're in the wash), sitting astride the arm of the couch and then falling off into another pot plant......Ducth children are CRAZY! or maybe I should blame the parents

Was a "during the day" party though, so even though everyone seemed to arrive at once (was pretty quiet till 2pm and then the rascals descended), everyone was gone by 5.

Recovering shell-shocked on the sofa now. Going to pour myself a stiff drink and think about tomorrow when it comes

Lauren - will you wrap it up?!

Soworn - hope you are eating a properly cooked chicken .

WhoKnows - we did the Will Aid last time - very good and with added 'feel good' factor. This time I used a fellow Mumsnetter who advertises here (Marlow Wills). She was excellent.

Stage One of the Great Decluttering in DS1's room started today. DS1 helped by donating lots of his old toys to his little brother and agreeing to throw out some unwanted junk. It was actually a really nice way to spend time together, as we ended up reminiscing about a lot of things.

Another bagful of unwanted clutter is going out for the binmen tomorrow .

Evening all

[solidarity with Engels as feeling slightly weary tonight after helping out at children's party (hope your ds1 had a lovely day!) plus have just fed a colleague's of dh's who's in town + ongoing after effects of entertaining in to the early hrs of this morning (still haven't finished washing up!)

Hope you will forgive me therefore if I just post links now and will catch up with personals and body clutter tomorrow. Hope you all had good Sundays though!

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OK... commencing week 4 ..

Tomorrow's baby-step, no. 22 for Mon 22nd Oct is here and concerns building a control journal (cj)

Tomorrow will be our first day in Zone 4: the master bedroom

Try and declutter for 15 mins per day in this zone. Once decluttered, you can go on to detailed cleaning

Also, don't forget your super fling boogie in this zone this week in preparation for the Christmas holidays!

Tomorrow's mission is here spending 15 mins to gather up things that do not belong in your bedroom and shifting them out.

The daily focus for Monday is : here the home blessing, or as we call it "home bleugh"!

The habit for October is: getting rid of paper clutter here. Try and shred/recycle/jettison papers you no longer need, 15 mins per day.

If I've missed anything, have a look at tomorrow's flight plan here which should update automatically with the date.

Hope you have a productive week everyone!

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