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!!

Had DS's birthday yesterday. House looks like CHAOS again but he enjoyed it so I am pleased. I made his cake so the kitchen is covered by a dust storm of icing sugar and despite my already having tried to clean it is still sticky so will need to have another deep clean in there. So that is all that's really on my to do list. Will read and catch up on thread tonight when, hopefully, I wont have much to do.

Hi all
Trazzle, sending you and your ds a huge hug! Hope you get more information on his treatment today.

I'm really struggling with names here, please bear with me. I must flip the thread befor eposting next time because i can't see who posted today. Is that what you guys do?

So not working until late afternoon and catching up before the my two long days at work (not home until late evening)

To do (have done some so will tick them off to keep myself right)
Recycle food x
Recycle packaging x
Bins out new bags in wash bins x
Recycle paper
Washing up x
S&s kitchen and bathroom
Wash sofas
Wash table in sitting room
Clear hotspot kitchen table
Make ebay list
Music for lesson
Think about lunch and dinner
Air in car tyres
Washing on line
New load in
Hoover sitting room

Need to declutter but can't think where to start?
Get rid of Lps do charity shops take them?

Mrsona how was the birthday? Anybody sick? I am planning a party for 8 year old so any ideas for games, food?

Got quite a lot of bits and pieces done yesterday including a 2 mile round trip walk to the Post Office (to help with body shred!)

I wore a pedometer all day to see how many steps I did and it came to over 11,000 . Even taking away the @5,000 from the walk, that was 6,000 just pottering around the house - I had done 900 by the time I'd finished the morning school run!

Ta Da today is:

• washing load in and hung to dry
• D/W on then unloaded
• sewn the last of DD's swimming badges onto her towel
• yesterday's washing put away

I'm going to try and finish the outstanding ironing before DD gets home from school

Oh bugger. Crisis clean alert!

Friend is fine with playdate, but it's ended up being here. Panic stations!

(Actually not to much, just a quick tidy and hoover, but wasn't planning on it IYSWIM!)

On the upside, I have cleaned my downstairs windows inside and out. Normally do the inside, but have a window cleaner for the outside. Unfortunately, the heavy wind and rain a few days ago meant that I couldn't see out of my kitchen window, so had to bite the bullet. First go with a cloth and squeegee, then finished with the e-cloths so it's relatively streak free when the rare glimmer of sun hits it

Right, DS for lunch, then a nap and I'll buzz round and get everything sorted. Mission has been sidetracked!

Checking in with a 'ta da' and a 'to do' later..

Done yesterday
managed to install printer (that took all day, and all my emotional energy
wrote an official sounding letter (reason for setting up printer)
homework for ds2
piano lesson dd
tended to ds1 who was in excellent spirits then proceeded to meltdown at 8pm with ds2 over a football match on telly (they just cannot watch telly together, ds1 makes noises all the time, and ds2 keeps reacting - so much for brotherly interaction Cue terrible screaming from ds1 about being deprived of football match on telly, motherly soothing, read him Lemony Snicket The End. He needed an early night.

Dh very tired, and worrying about his new life, despite constant reassurance from wife

Also migraine on Sunday followed by severe peri-menopausal symptoms, so I think we are both heading for early retirement Beginning to recover now aided by lots of codeine and toast.

Today, I am determined to tidy dd's room. Ds1 room is so beautifully tidy atm, due to cleaning lady and my efforts on Monday...it feels like a haven. Dd needs similar I think.

actually, her room is not so bad, just needs a bit of a spruce and sheets changed
so...have to tackle paperwork then no avoiding it

Ha, swan. I've got a fresh mountain of the stuff to wade through today as well. Raging inferno type hot spot.

Dh is away, so I've got a sitter coming round tonight as I have a meeting. I'm also on crisis clean, CJ.

In other news, it snowed for six hours yesterday. wooooooo! Nearly ski season! And just in time, I have two job interviews tomorrow. So I will also be in a flap and dragging clothes out of the wardrobe later. Never a good look.

rowing I didn't throw him a party (bad social anxieties that I have only just started getting help for) but he's only four so he didn't mind. I just brought his best friend round to my parents and we had like a mini thing there with his friend, friend's mum (my best mate) and my family. He loved it :)

right, achieved something
2 suitcases in loft
passed on character shoes and heelies to playground
bag of barbies passed on
found bag of halloween stuff in loft
two loads of washing
changed dd sheets
dusted and sweetwrappers from dd room
all sleeping bags in playroom
clean laundry sorted

madwoman you are onto the next season, gosh winter already [was there autumn?] we have grapes ripening still here, although there is a distinctly equinoctal mulchy feeling now, hailstorm earlier. 2 jobs! Wow!

Rowing when ds2 was eight we did a themed party at home, just 9-10 kids. I think it was Indiana Jones so cactus scenery, dress cowboys and indians, a treasure hunt, games in garden, nothing particular fussy but I think they liked being in fancy dress. No film or anything, just dancing, clues, that sort of game. Will try and look back on this thread to see what I did it must have been round Easter 2010. The previous year we did a Star Wars themed party, where they came dressed as Star Wars characters. They have always been v successful on low budget, small nos of kids.

Helloooooo everyone. I like to start the month as I finish the month.......... Missing in inaction.

Not stopping either as have got Open Evening at school tonight so have come home for quick shower and quick bite to eat before I go back to work until 9.

I just wanted to send my thoughts hugs and prayers to you trazzle and your beautiful ds and the rest of your family. I cannot begin to imagine what you are going through but know we are here for you and are thinking of you. If you need a place to be sad, to rant or just to talk, we are here. I hope you managed to get some sleep and that things are going as well as they can be. Will check your other thread too. Take care.

Trazzle ditto what Ellie said a hundred times over ...

Just dashing in and out again very fast to say "hello". In middle of ballet/bath/hwk supervision/supper but will BBL

Hope everyone's day is going as well it possibly can

Trazzle I?m so very very sorry, horrible news that can only leave your world upside down and all over the place. We can't as parent?s foresee and know these things, just do our best when presented with them. Hugs prayers and strength for him, you, and your family, and that you can access all help at any level needed or wanted.

S/c Sorry I couldn't get back here, but thank you for reporting back on the art classes. Waiting in hope for future instalments.

Flying had to wait while trying to sort out accommodation, money, storage, possible insurance et al here.

Still to do:
Make soup
English
Statistics
Iron
Prep swim kits
Eat
Sleep

So sorry to hear your news trazzle

How's it going with the aftermath of the flood and everything Justgettingonwithit? - It can't be at all easy for you. Eeeek at 'statistics'!

Hardly 'missing' Ellie - certainly loads of 'action' ! Hope Open Evening not too onerous. One of my sister's is a lecturer, and always having to attend those sort of things - so I know how utterly knackering full on they can be. [Opens for when you get home at 9.30pm (hopefully))

Swan 'yes' to mulchy feel here too - intrigued by 'character' shoes ... to counteract double demands of Lemony-Snicket meltdowns and spousal reassurance

Madwoman heavens @ snow already! and good luck with interviews!! Let us know how you get on!

Carpe congrats on the window cleaning and hope you survived the crisis clean/play-date! for you too!

Dizzy well done re: your 11.000 steps

Rowingboat well done re: working through your your long list - hope declutteirng went ok (why not start in zone one if you are unsure? )
Usually have thread so that last posts appear first ifywsim (is that flipping???)

Whey hey Lauren ahhh... the romance of it all .....

So glad your ds enjoyed his party MrsOnatopp. Arf at icing sugar storm!

Carpe hope a bit of fresh air did the trick!

Issimma how did you get on today?

Huge wing flaps to Engels Honu Toffee Whoknows Feetheart blue pushme bitchy PA Sowornout MaggieMcV MercuryRising TheHeirofSlytherin and anyone else I've forgotten!!

Phew, well that was a day and a half. Burnt the supper so had to order in pizza . (I've burnt the supper twice in a row now - wondering if this is significant somehow - old age/imminent decline??) Spent the day trying to work out how to pronounce "Taoiseach" correctly ie PM of Ireland - don't ask, it's work related - he's visiting atm (not us - the city) - (actually Swan - you might know this one!) and I just didn't stop today. I was very, very busy doing totally different things to those on my list, and am now on the despite giving it up on Sunday!! Oh and found the most faaab-u-lous art shop known to man which I've walked past in ignorance for 15 years!!

[Opens many more bottles for everyone else!!

Justgettonwithit no probs re: art classes btw - will be boring you all about them ad infinitum no doubt ... How did the sketch turn out??

Ta da:
morning routine inc s&s, wm, dw done
prep for fortnightly ironing lady - can't remember if she is coming or not [bad planning emoticon] she came yay!
make veggie casserole thing I didn't make yesteday NOPE
prep online shopping returns NOPE
post office run NOPE
art shop run Yay
school run done
hwk supervision done
rules discussion (again) with dd NOPE
BOUDOIR NOPE
family board game night NOPE but did poem in the bath instead
afternoon routine, to do

also did : more rabbit supplies/quick supermarket shop/quick present & cosmetics shop/laundry/phone calls/found medical info and prepped appts (something I had been procrastingating over)

procrastingating???

***

Feeling a bit tipsy tired now so am going to post links, finish evening routine then crash. (Tried to post these twice previously and they disappeared so third time lucky!)

Tomorrow's baby-step no. 4 for Thurs 4th October is here the superfluos one about post-it notes which form start of cj. Prob. worth reading if you are a newcomer but personally don't think it's worth doing!

Tomorrow (and all this week) we are in Zone 1: Entrance, Front Porch, and Dining Room. Try and spend 15 mins decluttering in this zone per day. If you have already decluttered, you can go on to detailed cleaning

Tomorrow's mission is more decluttering of dining room or wherever suits

Thursday is errand day here

The habit for October is: getting rid of paper clutter here

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

___

superfluous!

Trazzle you and your family have been very much in my mind as I've been posting all the trivialities below. Doesn't seem right somehow to be posting about art supply shops and decluttering when you are going through such a testing time. Anyway, just wanted you to know that our thoughts are very much with you x

G'night everyone.