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!!

Good morning lovely organised and inspiring people,
Today is my last morning at work and so my to dos for later are:

Give my Dad his birthday pressies for today (and mums - a Christmas Eve birthday!)
Finish wrapping (this is the earliest I've ever achieved this!)
Staple cards to crepe paper and get dh to hang up
Sweep kitchen floor

ta das
oh bother - none as yet - but once I get home, KABOOM!!

Have a lovely day!!

Morning gang, yesterday did get a bit better thanks, I did get my arse in gear and did some basic tidying and dinner prep.

I like the idea of Cuddledup's housecoat. I just wear my normal clothes, eg jeans, t-shirt and hoodie / fleece. That's why my jeans have a blach splash on the thigh. I coloured it in with black permanent marker so it doesn't look like spunk or baby sick isn't so obvious. S&B queen, me.

So anyway, ta da:
Morning routine (an advance on yesterday then!)
Vac lounge
Clean hearth

To do:
Clean downstairs loo
Wrap remaining presents
More laundry

Morning all. I just wear normal clothes for housework too. I've seen housecoat type things on the market here. Don't know if that would work where you are Cuddledup?

Have been to the hairdresser and postponed the Aldi shop for tomorrow. Now I need to decide what to do next...

To do
make cakes for DS1's class party
Work
Wrap presents
Laundry away
Check bus times
Carol concert!

Gah! Email's sulking. Going to make work hard...

Hello to Zombies, Jax, Jdub, and Cuddledup, and hope I?ve not missed anyone new.

Trazzle so glad you?re all (hopefully staying) home for Christmas.

I couldn't bring myself to come on here and say more was going wrong until there was some hope on the horizon, as things are such a mess, and the only flying has been everyone tempers, (and borrowed money flying out of my hands) and it?s all very stressful, unreasonable and unseasonable.

DD and GC?s move turned into a total disaster on the day. Packed, prepared, and started, but cutting short a dreadful day, the rest of what should have happened, didn't!

Also cutting short a lot of awfulness, no help available (that didn't involve unthinkable things over children) so everything ended up scattered over three locations, lots got pulled apart scattered everywhere unpacked to get at essentials, and ideas on how not to make things worse have differed, and tempers have been very frayed. I've struggled with health, (disabled) DD has had to be in virtual isolation, DS has been struggling to cope, separately some stupid things have been said to him that have hit him hard, and consequent meltdowns have not been fun.

The move is now happening today as best as it can, but is all a stressful mess.

Haven?t been able to do anything about ?sludgefest,? insurance situation, or storage unit situation and just have my fingers crossed that somehow things will get to be all right. (please, please, please.)

?Bedinshed? is now ?Bedsamongststorage?. Owner has put loads in that has to stay, and we have to manage round it, lots of family stuff has had to be added, it?s all a terrible mess and I'm feeling like the world?s worst parent.

But, by the end of today (almost) everyone should at least be in the place they?ll be spending Christmas in, and ?operation rescue Christmas? can try and happen. if I can work out where on earth to start.

Hello Just, sounds like you're having an utter nightmare :( I don't know the history here, is this all due to flooding? I do hope everything gets sorted out in time for you to have a decent Christmas. I am sure that, one way or another, everything will work out.

just your situation sounds hellish to say the least! Flying is the least of your worries my love. I also dont know history, but sending you calming thoughts and large vat of wine!

Today I have vaccuumed and washed downstairs floors (ouch from my back)
done a load of laundry
cleaned bathrooms,
oiled my wooden tables with a lovely method wood cleaner which has almond oil in, smells lovely.

Got friends coming for dinner tonight, so have made ham in cola, going to do celeriac dauphinoise, loads of veggies, chocolate cheesecake and lastly I have got my mint, sugar, lime pounded ready to make several jugs of mojitos!

Just v sorry to hear about your hellish situation. I also don't know the back story but I think lots of is called for.

Had a fairly productive day -
cleaned kitchen twice after DH decided to cook.
felt sick so cancelled visit to salon for pre-Christmas "tidy up" (if Father Xmas can have a beard why can't I?)
put up cards and more decks
bought final part of DD's present
hoovered and hoovered....attic, living room
posted last Xmas cards (better late than never!)
watched Nativity with DD
and now I"m off to clean the kitchen again and shine that sink.
first lot of Xmas visitors arrive at 11 tonight

Haven't even considered doing anything

Whoops posted without finishing my sentence...
I haven't even considered doing my Zone.... have reached the time of the day when I can't be fecking arsed.

Hi all, work is exhausting in the run up to Christmas so no energy for anything in the evening. Not even taken the dog out the last two nights as the weather is awful here. Lots of roads flooded, although compared to just getting on, this is a minor thing, there's always another way to go.

Yesterday's Ta Da

usual routines
dusted bookcase in living room so I could put the tree in front of it
put up tree - this is easy as it's a pop up one
put lace curtain back up in living room
put rest of decorations up and put boxes back in loft
found a missing Christmas present after a mad search
wrapped up most of presents for grandchildren, just adults to do now

Today's Ta Da

usual routines
yesterday and today's bedroom missions, tomorrow's is a doddle

Hi all!

DD is still refusing to sleep . I'm finished work now though until 7th January so have plenty of time to nurse her better, hopefully before Christmas!

Have only done basic routines today, back with lists tomorrow though or my house will be a disaster zone!

BB soon with links when DD stops shouting "mummy help" from her cot!

Just I think the last bit of your post is hopeful, I think you are achieving more than you think.

Dd has been poorly, poor little nephew has now been in hospitalized for last two weeks for a chronic condition, and I am just relieved it is the end of term, never mind worrying about Christmas The good news is that at least dd will not now get a virus over Christmas, unless it is an entirely different one (she is usually quite resilient, though complains a lot). Ds2 was ill a few weeks ago, so that only leaves Ds1 to come down with something at last minute?

This evening's challenge [wait for it..it is pathetic.. was unblocking a loo which defeated all the men in this house, and how to deal with the polysterene beads in three enormous sacks filling the front room. I thought the bean bags would come with instructions...

Whose foolish idea was it to give two of them teenage bean bag chairs for Christmas? mine ..aargh how am I going to fill these bags with those beans, without covering the entire house in tiny static white beads? And a breeze apparently is lethal

done
numerous Xmas cards in about four batches..I think that is how I managed it this year, just keep sending little and often...
wrapped all presents nearly nearly
ordered all food
made plan for Christmas menu
argued about where dining table should go
ordered compost for seasonal displays
Ds1 Carol service (dh went)
watched Secrets of Moonacre (SC another one dd might enjoy - version of Little White Horse)
ordered some books for ds1 reading list
looked after dd all day

still to do
tidy house
TIDY GARDEN [view from window only]
cook red cabbage for freezer
ditto stuffing
shift sore throat

Oh yes, and done
renewed car tax in flurry of last minute finding of relevant docs, too late to do it by phone
paid some bills
got ds1 off to school bright and early
packed lunches/party bags x 2
cleared Xmas wrapping and card hotspot into bin liner upstairs
bought myself some suede boots off a market stall (Cutprice Clarks) They fit, they are lovely and only £40...I've never had any boots except wellies since my teens.. so warm.

and finally PASS THE MOJITOS jax..all that mint/lime must be healthy

Still here doing nothing

Glad you are home Trazzle, hope you manage to get some rest over Christmas

Just, am thinking of you and your family. Wish I could do something to help.

Tired wave to everyone else. 8 hrs driving today for a half hour pointless meeting. Am knackered!

If anyone is about that could do links I would hugely appreciate it. DD just had a night terror and is currently making noises in her bed that sound like she's about to start wailing again . Ill check back when she calms down and can post in the night if there's no one around though!

Will give it a go

Here are tomorrows links...

Tomorrow is baby step 21: Every Monday-Friday there is an Ask FlyLady Question, and FlyLady answers it. You can read this week?s questions at www.flylady.net/d/br/author/ask-flylady/

Friday is Declutter purse & car day

Tomorrows mission is to have favourite pjs ready (!) for tonight www.flylady.net/c/sp.php#missions

We are in zone 4: the master bedroom and detailed cleaning list is here. www.flylady.net/d/zones/detailed-cleaning-zone-4/

Hope this works!

Lauren meant to add hope your Dd has calmed down and that you get a good night's sleep

going! It's much appreciated!

DD has had an hours sleep and is going strong with her objections to sleep again ! It's a good job there is no work tomorrow!

Ugh, poor you Lauren how old is she? Hope you got to sleep in the end

Last day at work for me today . Of course then I have to get the house Christmas ready . I think tomorrow and Sunday are going to be big days in the pushme household! Will be back late tonight so just a short list today to ease myself into it!

To do
Fold washing and put away
Wash sofa cover
Wrap stocking fillers
Finish online shop

SInce today is meant to be the "end of the world" I"m not sure if it's worth attempting my list - what's the point ?
Assuming we shall all be here tomorrow here's my list:

Meditate
Tackle ironing mountain
Declutter guest bedroom
Do shift at Foodbank
Go Xmas shopping! I currently have nothing for two step sons and partner, DH and mum.

Fingers crossed DH will mend our toilet - as we have LOTS of guests coming on MOnday...

Thanks pushme she just turned 2 last week! I had lots of broken sleep but she spent the night in her own bed which is a huge step forward

To do today:
Collect DD Christmas book
Deliver Christmas presents
My laundry
Clean bathroom
Deep clean playroom
Walk dogs
Wrap DD a Christmas Eve hamper box and fill it
Drop more of DDs presents at my mums in an undercover kind of way
Put shelf in garage
Put rocking horse in playroom- DD was freaking out and screaming at it last night, so moving it in the hope of sleep tonight
Small food shop- might just go to local corner shop to avoid trolley wars over a loaf of bread and some eggs!

BBL!

Right school finished here yesterday so we're officially on our hols! Just finished off a lovely plate of cheese and crackers so thought it was time to write my list. We've had a minor disaster this morning as our kitchen was flooded when we got up. The emergency plumber has been and can't figure out where the water was coming from so has done what he can. I've pulled everything out of the cupboards and am slowly cleaning it all and salvaging what I can. Bit fed up but realise this is very minor compared to what some people are going through at the moment.

Done
Clear surfaces in living room
Hoover throughout
Eat copious amounts of Roses
Wash up
Tidy our bedroom
Two loads of washing
Put away clean clothes
Sort out children's drawers

To Do
Finish cleaning up water damaged things in kitchen
Kitchen floor
Both bathroom floors
Wrap all presents (yea Gods!)
Stocking presents
Go to the panto (Yay!)
Two loads of washing
Take a nap

Morning all.

Gold what a pain to wake up to that. Hope the cleanup is quick and relatively hassle-free. At least it means your cupboards are all nicely cleaned out. (An area where mine are sadly lacking.)

When shining my sink this morning I noticed how much nicer it looks without the grey plastic drainer. There's nowhere to put it when not in use though. Does everyone else have a drainer? Is it on the draining board all the time? If not, where do you hide it?

Sorry i am a bit awol atm. Things have been a bit insane around here. Got woken up by a migraine which is a pain because i have to sleep my migraines off so can't sleep atm going to find some strong meds and brave town to collect a book that I ordered and came in less then 24hrs after order was placed. Was very impressed by the help and knowledge of the staff in the shop too. Sometimes you just want a person to advise rather then loads of internet stuff.

For those who weren't about last year we don't have links for christmas day and boxing day minimum. Fat fairy does and if you feel the need you can find them on her website otherwise. relax and enjoy as much as possible!!!!!!

Am hoping that once i get some more fluids and pain killers into my system I will feel a bit better and more able to get going. It has been a while a few months since I had a nasty one like this. Diet changes that i let slip are not worth letting slip fucking arses!!!!!!