There will be no soot in the Fledglings sacks as they FLY through December and into the New Year

[laurenamium]

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 wine 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 Flying lessons. Here's the launch pad for more experienced fledglings. Don't be put off by the barf-tastic language of the site - the underlying system is sound (and you may discover a few of our subversions of the vocabularly along the way).

Many thanks to blue for leading the thread through November (and sc for such a good OP, which has been cut and pasted twice!) and I'll post the first babysteps and mission tomorrow evening.

All welcome!!

Wow. Cranberry and Orange meringue pie sounds AMAZING!

Just been catching up with the rest of the thread that I hadn't read before. Seems like lots of people are having troubles :( Sending good vibes to everybody.

I can't believe I've just managed to light the log burner with three bits of kindling. The lengths I will go to to avoid going outside! Weather is foul here, quite windy and pouring with rain - my favourite combination! (Not.)

If it does stop raining at any point I will go out and get more wood, empty the compost bucket, and take the rubbish out.

Pouring with rain here too. Just taken the pie out of the oven, here's the recipe Cranberry and Orange Meringue. I was toying with doing one for Christmas Day but it took quite a long time even though I bought the pastry case and I would have to make from scratch on the day as we have someone who is dairy intolerant. Not sure if it would stay crisp if I made it on Christmas Eve. I could make the case and filling the day before I suppose. Hmm. Will wait and see what it tastes like I think.

The pie looks lovely, am sure it would work if you did the case and filling on Christmas Eve and then do the meringue Christmas day.

The weather is awful here today, don't think the dog will be getting a walk, poor thing. I already have a cold, getting soaked won't help.

Got most of my kitchen jobs done, so am spending the afternoon knitting whilst watching good food channel.

Just stopping for a breather, yesterday was a complete waste of time.

Done
Dd to school, with Home Learning book & antlers head band
Dh back at dentist, he's been clutching his jaw on and off since Monday, I was going to put up with it all weekend too.
Picked up a few bits of shopping
Ironing done
Washing up done

to do
Another load of washing to go in
Build a storage unit (ikea-doddle)
Maybe move some furniture round in lounge
Clean bathroom - need to catch up on missions
Empty bins
Prepare dinner, wash up, shine sink etc.

Afternoon inspiring and organised folk, am writing this from my sofa with a bloomin' chest infection which means my TA Da's are very, very teeny weany: almost completed Christmas Cards.
My TO DOs are if the antibiotics have started to kick in by later, then make some good wrapping progress.
And a general maintenance of bathroom cleanliness if I can muster the energy.

Keep up the good work everyone

Jdub- well done on getting those bits done. Don't think you are behind, don't feel guilty just jump in where we are and carry on with the system. Fat fairy says you are never behind. Although with christmas prep I accept that is easier said then done.

Slept all day again. Still feeling crappy. Pain and headache residual. but need to get up for the school run. Need to head out this evening. Not entirely certain i want to.

Well, I've done one lot of washing and about half the wrapping. Finished the cards except I forgot to do ones for the binmen and postman. Going to get the FCs from school in a minute and then tackle the upstairs tidying one we're all back.

Watched a bit of telly. Lazy day really. At least it has stopped raining now, but the wind is getting up and it is so gloomy. I don't really feel like going out tonight TBH but I am sure it will be fun and it's only a short walk from home so the can flow.

Had a lovely day hitting my bedroom. Looks much better although not perfect.

Tomorrows list

Take boys ice skating
Finish laundry
Four baskets of clean washing to put away
Write Xmas cards
Boys to tidy their room
Hoover downstairs
Quick clean of bathroom
Stick Xmas cards up
Pop into town

Hello everyone! I have had a lovely but tiring day with DD for her birthday thank you everyone for the happy birthdays!

I will be back in a second with tomorrow's links!

Links for tomorrow!
Baby step fifteen is making our beds. I find this one workable and it definitely makes a difference!

There is no mission tomorrow as it is the weekend!

Saturday is family fun day!

Have a lovely Saturday everyone!

Evening all.

Agree that the pie looks lovely - may just bookmark the recipe! I think it would be OK with the base made on Christmas eve too. That worked with a mincemeat tart I made a couple of years ago and am planning again for this year.

Today has been mostly successful, and have made mince pies and a choc cheesecake for dinner with friends tomorrow.

Glad DD's birthday went well, Lauren

Pie was yummy, although the filling was a bit sparse, I think I needed a smaller diameter pastry case. I've had a lovely night at my friend's house. lots of chat and lots of laughs and lots of wine. Off to bed now, see you all in the morning.

Not entirely sure where the last week went! My DS was poorly on and off all week so had to leave work early a few days after having Sunday off. Anyway, have made up for it this morning

Done
Kitchen floor
4 loads of washing
Stripped our bed
Made DC beds and quick pick up in their room
DC bathroom floor and tidy up
Clean washing away
Swept balcony
Cleared surfaces in sitting room
Cleaned kitchen surfaces
Decluttered fridge surfaces and notice board
Put up DC's Christmas cards
Set up gingerbread house for DC to decorate this morning

To Do
Make our bed
Wrap Secret Santa gifts
Wrap other gifts to save a bit of stress next week
Prepare my clothes for work week
Sew buttons onto uniform
Prepare DC's uniform for next week
Buy another Secret Santa gift for night out and wrap
Drop DD to Christmas party
Get nails done
Banking
Finish cleaning surfaces in bathrooms
Hoover

I'm trying to get as much done as possible this week so that when school finishes on Thursday, we can all have a rest and do some fun things. I'm feeling optimistic today!

Morning all. Had quite a successful day yesterday, got the kitchen floor scrubbed. The floor tiles have a rough texture so when I mop, the dirty water just collects in all the tiny grooves, so once in a while I have to get down on hands and knees and scrub.

Not sure what the plan is for today, it depends if DP ends up working or not, which in turn depends on the weather.

Not sure about making the bed as soon as you get out of it - I prefer to turn the duvet back and air the bed, and open the bedroom windows a crack to air the room. It only takes a second to chuck the duvet back in place later on anyway.

Good morning.

Complete sleep fail here last night. feeling kinda rough but not able to sleep which is a real pita. otoh have managed to do 2 loads of washng and youtube search something lose hours in youtube without actually finding what I wanted Got stuff to do so hitting the coffee and going to just get on with.

ta da
2 loads washing
sort out plan for today's to do list

Morning Tired, that's what I do, I usually go downstairs, have a cup of tea, do a few jobs, then go back upstairs to get dressed, then I make the bed after it has had time to air.

I leave the beds to air all day more often that not, they still look neat. I don't really feel the need for this your bedroom should feel like a boutique hotel business that Flylady aims for, I just like to aim for neat, tidy and eveything in it's place and it is usually the lowest priority room for achieving it to be honest.

Right today I need to finish putting away all the crap that has been sorted into Ikea bags on the spare bed. I have developed a technique where you gather up everything that shouldn't be in a room and take it somewhere where there is a bit of space, sort it all into containers for its destination rooms, do the same with a second room and then gradually rotate all the stuff back to the right rooms and put away. This takes several hours because I don't keep up with it all very well in between but is effective as a major tidy up technique.

Also need to hoover throughout, dust and clean windowsill etc in spare room (ILs now expected this afternoon). Two lots of washing at least. Better get up I suppose .

Today's to do list

Concentrate on blitzing the living room
Walk the dog
Visit my mum
Soak and block the shawl I finished knitting today

Not sure how much I will get done, as I am feeling very achey after five days of cleaning and scrubbing.

Have a good day everyone.

I'm afraid I have a serious "Meh - it's the weekend" feeling towards housework today. We're dressed, we've had breakfast, and the pots are done, although not dried and put away. DD is going to Nana's tonight so DP and I have a free evening, and a lie-in tomorrow, woo hoo!

Advent, lovely to meet someone else who blocks their work! Think we're in the minority :) I am knitting a jumper for DP, I finished the front and back and decided to block those before I went any further - they grew by 3" in length! So pulled out 3" and cast off again. Now I'm tweaking the sleeve increases to try and get the sleeves the right length without having to undo any. Once the first sleeve is done the second will be much quicker.

I knit a lot of lace shawls, and use mainly wool these days, lace needs to be blocked otherwise it looks like a bit of old dishrag. When my children were little, I knitted with a lot of acrylic, so never needed to block then. Often wonder what happens to the shawls I have given away though.

Take boys ice skating
Finish laundry
Four baskets of clean washing to put away
Write Xmas cards
Boys to tidy their room
Hoover downstairs
Quick clean of bathroom
Stick Xmas cards up
Pop into town
Cook dinner
Clear up kitchen
Kids to bed
15 minutes declutter
defrost freezer
food shop

On a roll today :)

Ta-da!

The whole house (apart form a few hotspots) is tidy. DH has been pulling his weight much better since I had my operation and actually got up first and put some washing on this morning. I have been tidying up all the small stuff for several hours, he has hoovered the whole house, between us we have done several loads of washing. ILs have arrived safely and we have been out for a walk after dark to deliver cards and look at everyone's Christmas lights - there are a couple of stunning displays on houses nearby.

Just going to make some mince pies and get tea ready for eating in front of Strictly. Have a good evening everyone.

Such a slack day today
But slight Ta Da
Massive lie in
Christmas shopping just about complete
Taken Dd to library
Dinner prepared

To do
Wash pots & shine sink
Ironing

So so happy!

The house is sooooi tidy! I've worked really hard the last few days. It's probably not up to everyone's standards but it's great for us.

So ta da list

Took boys ice skating
Went to town bought mindees presents
Food shop
Defrosted freezer
Stripped and washed dd's bed
Hoovered house top to bottom
Two loads of washing
Four baskets of washing put away
Wrote Xmas cards
Cooked dinner
Cleaned kitchen
Washed pots
Stick Xmas cards up
Wrapped mum birthday present and cards
Found dhs bank card

Hi all! I'm very jealous of all of these tidy houses and you have inspired me to have a huge deep clean tomorrow before I visit my DF!

DDs birthday party went very well today! But my house has paid the price for it as the kitchen looks like a party food bomb has exploded and there Are balloons and toys all over! So a deep clean tomorrow is a good thing!

Be back with links!