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!!

Awww bitchy everything sounds so hectic for you at the min, hope ds calms a bit for you as the day progresses, my friend found that her son wanted to go in the bath and shower a lot and she figured that it wasn't the bath he was wanting but the brisk rub down with a towel after. I know with my ds he likes to be wrapped and almost restricted (hence the sleeping bag calming), its funny how certain things send them calm and send them nuts.

Just getting out of bed

Got back from staying with my parents last night. House needs serious attention, but we will be out for most of the day....
Visitors calling tomorrow, and I definitely Can't Have Anyone Over with the place as it is .

Must try the power of 15 minutes a few times before we head out!

Waves to all!

My DS loves being wrapped up too, he also loves having his back gently scratched, definitely a bit of sensory stuff going on there.

Just a quick tada!

I have cleaned the bathroom. Not every nook and cranny, but the loo and basin have been done thoroughly and the bath given a quick scrub. The loo was disgusting.

I was almost in tears at the state of the place yesterday morning, DH hadn't done anything except the washing up since the previous weekend and it was awful, he and DS sat and watched the Grand Prix in the morning which was Ok I suppose, but then DH just carried on sitting on the sofa till about 3pm and I just wanted to scream at him. He did redeem himself somewhat after that with clearing all floors and hoovering, but none of the other stuff (the washing mountain has been extreme as well but he did do some on Saturday). I am able to do things like dusting and tidying surfaces now as well as cleaning bathroom and kitchen surfaces though, so I can gradually pick up the reins again. I was really hoping that this period of me being unfit would bring home to him the need to do things as they need doing and not just let everything pile up till a crisis happens but it doesn't look like happening. I would have died of shame if anyone had called yesterday.

Thank you Blue really kind of you to offer to run November thread . Enjoy your forest walk! Hope not too muddy!

Oh Whoknows that does sound rather demoralising. Shouldn't generalise, but I find that men can "do" illness for a limited period of time and then they get bored and conveniently "forget" about all the daily chores that need doing consistently. It is infuriating because it's like their mindset is set to "ok, extra effort for short period of time for which I will be garlanded with flowers" and dismiss the fact that wives or partners are taking care of all the routine tasks day in, day out, without any acknowledgement or reward - in fact - my dh only notices things when they haven't been done (ie he has no clean underwear or socks!) Must be especially galling after all the efforts you made prior to your op. The most important thing is that you don't jeopardise your recovery by picking up the reins and doing too much ... then maybe time for a renegotiation of specific tasks???? Maybe?

Glad it's not just me who was lying in this morning Castlelough! I usually hate sleeping during the day but we've all got stinking colds. Dh was up and out like a lark for work as usual though of course -dd is thoroughly "embedded" on the sofa and is still in her pjs and dressing gown. We are just about to play a game of Battle Ships. Not a terribly dynamic start to the holidays ...

Sorry your ds is feeling under the weather and hope your day gets better Bitchy

Hang on Toffee that is our bedroom too!! [hgrin] Equally relieved here that it is the holidays and we don't have to be anywhere. And sorry your ma is leaving today. You are doing well with the decluttering. I think we all underestimate how much time and effort is required at last stage (ie getting stuff OUT of the house again to recycling centre, tip, charity shops, charities etc.) That is where I get stuck anyway despite Flylady's warnings about it.

Hello Maggie good to see you!! Good luck with crisis clean!

Gossip enjoy the swimming and hope your ds3 stays well

lauren great your dd has bounced back so quickly. Good luck with your list.

Huge wing flaps to Trazzles Ellie Justgettingonwithit Feetheart Swan PA Carpe Sowornout Madwoman Pushme Honu Issima Arses Thatsnice Dizzy Shifty Engels and eveyrone else

Well as usual lovely fledglings, I come on here feeling lazy and demoralised and then read through all the things you are doing which has an instantly energising effect. So, in that spirit:

To do:

finish er, morning routine inc s&s, dw, wm
more washing: ballet/tennis/gym/entire school uniform +office laundry
rabbit cages x 2
home bleugh (well tidy up ground floor anyway)
play battleships a trillion times
prep canvases with gesso
try on clothes and return those that are no good
write letter to Aunt
keep dd entertained
weekend leftovers for supper

Must try and do more than "maintain" this holiday!! [Determined grimace]

Have a good start to the week everyone

Bum, I've barely started the day and it is already starting to get dark! This won't do at all

I'm still refusing to do anything been out this morning, going out again in a bit to buy myself some clothes as mine are naff. And doing the food shop, I also think an internet malfunction may benefit the house in some way.

Hi all,

back from a weekend away at my sister's wedding in the UK. Have managed to whip the hosue back into some kind of order today with DH's help (washing dealt with, unpacked everything, food shopping done) but not looking forward to going back to work tomorrow after 2 days off sick with a stinking cold last week.

have a stack of school work to do, the clutter is building up and nanowrimo starts on Thursday so I'm writing a book next month. I think I will need help to get through the month!!!!!!!

DH and I have agreed though that we will declutter DS's toys. he's our first DC, btu we were given lots of stuff before he was born by friends and ILs and he got SO many presents for his birthday. there's no way he'll play with all of those toys! So we are going to sort through all of the second hand stuff to decide what stays, what is saved for DC2, what we can give away, maybe there are some things for the "present box" that are unused.

Anyway, will try and catch up on the thread tonight.

Welcome back Engels How was the wedding!!??? Congratulations to your sister and her new dh - hope you all had a lovely day. Good luck with toy decluttering.

Enjoy the retail therapy Gossip!!

OK, um, battleships X 3 [done]

Slow lorris day here Even the rabbits are inert ....

PS Gossip think this house would benefit from a 6-month Internet malfunction [hwink] at least ...

Wedding was lovely sc. They got married in the village church where my parents live. venue was lovely. Everyone made a lot of fuss of DS. Was first wedding we've been to with DC though so bit of a "different" experience (i.e. flashing my boobs everytime I picked him up, flashing my scary stomach holding in granny pants everytime I had him on my lap, running after a toddler as he tries to escape the venue while tottering around in stilettos). We ended up leaving reception after speeches and dinner though as DS was exhausted, still ill from last week (and DH ill too). Only got a few hours sleep the night before wedding as DS screaming from teething pain.

he's normally such an easy baby as I have been telling my family for the past year and now none of them will believe me

Would have enjoyed the weekend a lot more if a) none of us were ill before/during b) I had swallowed my pride and gone for the size 14 bridesmaid dress and then got it altered to make up for my lack of boobs [hgrin] Instead I spent the day breathing in as it was rather snug around my post pregnancy expanded ribcage.

prepared for wedding number 2 of the year in a few weeks though. priorities are wearing something comfortable and not getting ill!

oooh Engels I love a village/country wedding! It sounds absolutely lovely!

But I think weddings are always hard work at the best of times and even more so with little ones (and I only had one little one to contend with!) the travel, the clothing, the fatigue, then the actual strain of having to keep your dc under control during and after the ceremony in the midst of a large group of people etc ...never an easy combination ...

On the other hand, your dsis will just be thrilled that you and your family were there for her

Engels and sympathies over clothing hassles and granny pants too btw I went through similar experience during the summer and have had nearly a decade to lose "baby weight" Good luck with prep for week ahead.

Issima the short day has taken me by surprise today too. It's getting dark over here right now! A bit depressing isn't it?

Well i have brought a couple of jumpers, a very nice red woolly one with sequins a big patterned one that seems to be in fashion a pair of jeggins, leggins and cabled leggins. Just basically easy wear stuff that I dont have to squeeze myself into first thing in the morning, unfortunately it cost £70 for those few items, I wish charity shops had fashionable clothes :(

New gear sounds lovely and Christmassy Gossip! [SC wishes she could fit in to leggings]

SC of course...[says she knowledgeably] there are many different specimens of beech.. cutleaf beech, copper beech, birch beech

Toffee beginning to regret Halloween. Have invited some people to a party Last year's cobwebs are not looking good

PA very exciting! Cambodian real estate!

have done something useful.
Brother over for tea yesterday with new baby
Counted money in church with some other people
Called AA
Made made-up recipe choc fudge, which I am eating...
Found a friend for ds2 and sent him over
Told dd to cut out putative Xmas presents from a toy catalogue. This took her hours. And none of them toys exactly Large cushion which works as telly remote sort of stuff Flashing shoe laces...Named bathrobe....

Engels it is all a bit of a blur with a toddler at a wedding. Never mind, I think everyone loves seeing them there.

Dh has taken ds1 to Skyfall. His mood is dark....

Whoknows
it is sooo frustrating, but the main thing is that you are getting better. And well done dh for hoovering. Sounds like the formula 1-itis that happens in our house too. Dh was snarling at me because I had left fish for lunch. Fish, what did you expect me to do with that? [er, cook it...?] He says fish is too complicated.

Other than that, am really enjoying halfterm feel tremendous relief that I don't have to be anywhere or do anything, except make a mess and muddle through...The endorphins post secondary application forms are kicking in!

I've has a pretty quiet few days followed by a whole heap of activity today!

I did the shop on Friday to see us through until our visitors go, then found out that by Sat evening DH had drunk 2/3rds of the beer and 2 packets of mini rolls. I'm so annoyed about the cakes as I caught him eating the 2nd packet but he didn't tell me about the other which apparently he'd eaten on the Friday whilst sitting 6 feet from me and never even thought to offer me one! Am I being unreasonable?

Today my list is:

• S/S x 4
• Hoover throughout upstairs
• Hoover throughout downstairs
• Brushed and mopped kitchen floor
• RR of lounge, kitchen and dining room
• RR of playroom inc organising toys as best I could as we still have no storage in there
• Dried washing put away
• Put up some Halloween decorations with DD
• Quick supermarket dash to replenish supplies
• DD to swimming lesson

Now we are waiting for our guests to arrive - though DD doesn't know they are coming - and we are all off to Legoland tomorrow

Ooh, please report on Legoland for me Dizzy - I'm hoping to persuade Dh to twke the DCs later in the week. We've been given tickets and not got round to using them and they expire next week.

I've been out for a walk this afternoon, trying to go a bit further every day to build up strength, managed 15 mins which is equivalent to a round trip to school, which I will need to do next week. Also a bit more online Christmas shopping and sorting out my Ocado orders, they cancelled on me today but sent a £25 voucher out.

Swan - DS can reel off the times and dates for all the rest of the Grand Prix season including practice and qualifying, woe betide me if I plan anying which will clash.

Engels - wedding sounds nice, we wemt to a couple the first year after having DS, it was nice but hard work. DD(6) has never been to one but has been invited to be a bridesmaid next year. The bride followed up the invitation with "I'm not going to be Bridezilla-ish about the arrangements" which has planted the seed of fear in my brain.

Gossip - red jumper sounds fabulous.

SC enjoy your lazy day

Blue - thank you for offering to do next month's thread, it will be my 3rd anniversary.

Evening all....finally got myself off my fat backside today after an idle weekend and did a bit.

Ta da list

Made bed
Swish and swipe
Home bleuuggh
Took DS2 to 3 hr sports session
2 loads washing
15 min de-clutter in the living room (can't yet see where I've been!)
Made soup
Taught DS2 (7) to knit (we are making a scarf for Ted and doing quite well)
Cooked tea
Loaded dishwasher

Gossip - new clothes sound lovely

SC enjoy your day

dizzy have a great time with your visitors - I'd like to know what Legoland's like too please......and is it worth a nearly four hour drive (which is what it is for us)? DS2 keeps whinging about going there because one of his friends went in the summer (but I think they probably had a weekend around Windsor).

engels glad you had a lovely wedding (and I would kill to be a size 14!)

swan like you, I'm enjoying half term - and trying not to plan much. Are the cobwebs fake? Or just real ones that have lurked in the corners for a year? (Like mine)....

issima CBeebies and cake sounds like a plan to me!

Whoknows Glad to hear you're getting slowly stronger. Keep up the walking.

Bitchy really sorry to hear DS poorly. Hope your day wasn't too stressful and that you can have a nice evening.

Love to all....

Hello all,

I was here a long long time ago, now I'm back (A few of you look familiar from what I've ready but it has been a while!)

At the moment I'm not working (much, long story), struggling a bit with my depression, getting used to my DS being at school and finding it much too easy to potter round doing nothing with my DD. I have time and opportunity to do things, but no motivation, so I'm back on the bandwagon. Shiny sink 2 days in a row so far, and I'm trying not to get carried away, but felt like a bit of company would be good, if only virtual :)

So hello!

I remember you Chairmum IIRC correctly you were the first person to have a baby whilst on this thread, it was very exciting. I was Mrs Dinky back then. It's always nice when people come back. A lot of people here still struggle with our Flying so you are in good company.

Waves to Chairmum.

Walking in the woods was mostly lovely, tempered with mud, stress and screaming children! Then had lunch in a café, which was far more stressful, followed by looking round the shops. DS1 set his heart on a hideous toy dinosaur-monster thing in a charity shop so I said he could buy it with £1 from his money box - think it's the first thing he's actually ever bought himself! I can't stand it, but he loves it. Hey ho.

Have done no flying today, and don't expect much tomorrow either. Will be able to post off a couple of parcels though, so minor decluttering I guess.

Night all.

I remember you chairmum. goodness knows what name I was using back then though.

A very warm welcome back Chairmum

Swan [impressed by encylopedic beech tree knowlege Arf at flashing shoelaces! well done on having such a productive day despite school hols

Sowornout you have been v. productive too - top Flying marks!

Hope you have a lovely time with your guests Dizzy and sympathies over "disappearing food" I have this problem with dh all the time!!

Whoknows well done on the walking front!

Blue aw at your ds1's first independent shopping purchase!

Waves to eveyrone else! And sorry to keep posting at such wierd hours - sleep patterns all over the place atm - I've just woken up!

***

Baby-step, no. 30 for Tues 30 Oct - the penultimate baby step is - here checking out your calendar for forthcoming important birthdays/dates etc

From now until the end of the month, we will be in Zone 5: The living room here

NB newcomers - we will be starting in Zone 1 again on Thursday!

Try and declutter for 15 mins per day in the current 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!

Tuesday's mission is here throwing rubbish away that is residing in your sitting room. I find this a bit wierd tbh as yesterday's mission was getting rid of clutter. Surely one would do Tuesday's mission first before Monday's, er, if one happened to do missions regularly of course

The daily focus for Tuesday is : planning! See what you can do this week to make next week/month/year easier.

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 Tuesday's flight plan

G'night (again!) all!