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!!

Hello everyone, I've namechanged, I was TiredofZombies

I must confess, I've done naff all flying. Basic routines and that's it. I did have a good (very fast) tidy up before SIL came round today though.

Have wonderful Christmases everyone!

Goodness me, today was exhausting...! lunch was planned for 2.30 which in retrospect was not such a good plan, as although it gave plenty of time to prepare it..kids were a bit too hungry to sit nicely and enjoy the occasion with assorted relatives. We had ten for lunch although little nephew still in hospital ( he is 10 weeks, and his mum escaped for 4 hours - they are taking in turns to be on duty)

And I hate my kitchen at Christmas, not big enough for dining table and no worktops for all those blooming hot dishes. However, the red cabbage was FAB, and all the presents were FAB too! Although dd complained that Father Christmas's choice of outfit was horrid...she has tarted improved it up with a sparkly belt (very tasteful tartan from Zara - think 10 year olds just think tasteful is boring)

Makeup kit was also a great success, unfortunately, dd now looks like Barbra Streisland. with beret, eyelashes, boots and 70's eyeshadow.

ds2 in heaven with Lego, ds1 in heaven lying on his beanbag...cats draped over unopened presents to relatives.

Everyone has gone home, and we have just been enjoying Dr Who, and the house to ourselves. And no need to do anything much...except possibly the washing up...

I'm tired too, but it has been a nice day. Unfortunately we were all (apart from DD) woken at 3.30 by a thunderstorm, I didn't manage to get much sleep after that, DS got up to go to the loo but went back to bed till 6.30, then got in with me till 6.50 then we were all up. I felt quite grotty till about 10.30 but was revived by a bubbly bath and lots of Bucks Fizz. My parents arrived at 12.30 for dinner at 2.30 and have just gone again. I did all the cooking but DH and the DParents did all the washing/clearing. I snoozed for an hour on the sofa before Strictly.

Swan - we have problems with a small kitchen too, ours is OK for everyday use but our table area is really cramped when we have guests, everyone is wedged in and it isn't conducive to staying at the table chatting. Plus the person at the end (me!) is the only one who can actually get out so has to do all the fetching of drinks, extra cutlery etc. We clear out every possible item from the surfaces beforehand which helps during the cooking/transfer to serving dishes stage.

Hope everyone else has had a good day

Evening all . Had a lovely day but I am mighty tired. Just had a snooze through Lord of the Rings and am settling down to watch Downtown although suspect I may doze off. DC's very happy tonight, big hits have proved to be Barbie for dd and Lego/tablet for ds.

who knows and swan my kitchen is not big enough to swing a cat in let alone a dining table. I feel your pain .

I thought the dc's would be shattered but they appear to have gained a second wind and are careering around upstairs. Am trying not to shout at them but they are making it very hard .

Enjoy the rest of the day .

My DCs are also careering around. I am cross because DH accidentally unplugged the Sky box earlier and I have lost Corrie. But not that cross, going off to watch Downton in a minute.

Went to both services this morning which was unexpected but worked.
We've only just managed to open presents here, as D/s took forever to eat dinner, even by his standards, but everyone is full warm and comfy and there's not been a cross word from anyone all day.

We have a 'kitchenette' here but the advantage is there's not much to clean so sink is actually shining. Feels virtuous for the first time in months!

Hello everyone! Merry Christmas

I'm glad everyone has had a lovely day! I've not been back from my mums for long, we have another Christmas Day lined up tomorrow with my auntie flying in from Australia and DD still has lots of presents to open!

I have been really spoilt this year by my parents! A laptop, a docking station for my iPhone AND tickets to see olly Murs and robbie in June! So I'm feeling very greatful!

Ill be back tomorrow evening feeling just as festive no doubt!

Whoknows my parents always go home before the washing up starts However, they were lovely guests this year, very cheery and good company, and not fussing over anything. I was woken up by that thunderstorm heard it half asleep and half awake very uneasy feeling all night...

Lauren that made me laugh, your concert tickets! Those are exactly the CDs I put in the dcs stocking, Ollie Murs and Robbie Williams I am now feeling my age.

Just there you see...much better than us...we had several cross words....no gravy and lack of helpfulness at vital points!

P.S. I cannot believe the Downton episode ending I was wondering why Fellowes was laying on the joyful reunion of Mary and Matthew so thick..it was sheer schmaltz and then the next bit aarrrgh! It feels like the only person who really face the world squarely is the Dowager

Yes, didn't like the ending at all,why couldn't it be a happy ending for Christmas day.

Very hectic day here, twelve for lunch. DP helped with al the veg prep, then mum and dp's son washed up. They all went home after Doctor Who though as the children were ready for an early night. Then we chilled out, watched TV and nibbled on turkey sandwiches, choccies and cheese and biscuits.

Only essential stuff being done - ie washing pots and tidying, then out with the dog for a long walk before a buffet tea.

Happy (belated) Christmas everybody. Ours was lovely but very hectic with PIL and BIL round for lunch and my parents and sister round for Christmas dinner. House is a tip with lots to tidy and the dishwasher to stack many times!

Happy (belated) Christmas everybody. Ours was lovely but very hectic with PIL and BIL round for lunch and my parents and sister round for Christmas dinner. House is a tip with lots to tidy and the dishwasher to stack many times!

Bbl when I'm not on my phone

swan at you feeling your age! I think I'm one of the babies of the thread though and I'm a sucker for cheesey pop

Here's my new name, I was adventcandle, but now advent is over, I fancied a name to reflect my current favourite hobby.

Today I am going to ignore the fat fairy and do deck all . We are having a lazy morning and then going to my mum's for a buffet tea with my Auntie and Uncle. No cooking whatsoever!

I too was upset at Downtown, why can't a baby born in that family have both it's parents?

Am going to lounge on the sofa and eat chocolate.

Deck all? Am on dc's new tablet and it clearly doesn't like me swearing . Feck all

Merry belated Christmas everyone!

Had a lovely relaxed Christmas day - didn't have to get in the car which was really nice. Just popped next door to ILs for coffee and cake in the morning when they got back from church, then brought DS home for his nap and DH and I started all the prep for dinner. ILs came back round later to eat with us and then they headed home when DS went to bed at 7.

And miracle of miracles - not a word of complaint about the food from fussy FIL!

Round 2 today - off to BIL and SIL's this afternoon and then out for dinner, but need to get everything packed this morning because WE'RE HEADING TO ENGLAND TOMORROW!!!!

Happy flying during the last days of 2012 everyone. I'll be back in the New Year

Caballine - ooh, completely understand the obligatory stand up rows. Hard when you?re suddenly in each other?s space all the time. I remember last January. This thread was soooo busy!!! I almost ran away

Blue - Wow, I thought DS2 was bad at the moment, but 3 wakes up in the night is NOTHING compared to what you are going through. A new bathroom suite? Fabulous!! Does it come installed or are you DIYing?

Lauren - what a cheeky little miss!

WhoKnows - iceskate, what fun!

Ellie - did you get all the presents wrapped on the 23rd?

Swan - tell DH to stop being a wine snob! I?m practically a flat pack expert now. !!! In the last couple of years have so far, pretty much single handedly, put up 5 ½ wardrobes, 2 children?s tiered toy storage units, 3 chests of drawers (and demolished one!), 3 beds (repeatedly with the house and room moves), expedit shelf unit, wine rack, and several cheap and nasty temporary shelving units (most of which have been tossed) ? plus probably a few others that I can?t think of right now.

We had lunch at 2.30 as well, but we gave the DC snacks in church (keeps them quiet!) so that stopped them being too hungry.

Toffee - that?s why I don?t do dogs, the following around would drive me crazy!

Engels - so great that you?ve had the decluttering chat with your DH. Remember, slow steps, you need to encourage him gently, lure him into it, encourage him to Ebay anything of value, then throw out all of the other crap while he?s not looking

Advent/baker - hope your turkey defrosted in time! I thought a frozen one would need about 2-3 days in the fridge?

Just - I do a very good job of pretending the rest doesn?t exist! Did you manage to get things dried?

Going - hard to get things done when they don?t make themselves scarce, isn?t it?!

Ellie - Deck all, I just thought you were being Christmassy!!

Thank you everyone for the hand holding, I seriously needed it! The house was tolerable, not fabulous, but the lounge looked great, tree was up, decorated and laden with Christmas presents. Turkey for lunch and ham for dinner. DSs had a fabuous time.

Leg hurt more from the walk/hobble to church and back, DSs had a great time splashing in all the puddles on the way home!

Sadly today has been back to cleaning, this time I had DH here to help thankfully. Needed to have the spare room cleared to house an overnight visitor. We are all off on holidays together at ridiculous o?clock in the morning tomorrow so easier for friend to stay at ours and head to the airport with us. I have been promised by DH that this week in France will be a complete rest for me, and I am determined to hold him to it!

Our kitchen is quite small too, certainly not big enough for a full on Christmas dinner. Fine for just the 4 of us, but it wouldn?t cope with the food for many more.

Downton ending! I'm almost not looking forward to the series starting....

Phew! at last I'm sitting down and chilling out! Had traumatic XMas with my beloved father dying on Sunday - it was expected but it's still difficult. As if that's not been awful enough DH's son and partner have been here for 5 days and have done deck all except eat and drink and watch me wash up / tidy up a zillion times a day when all I wanted to do was sit in the corner and grieve. New years resolution - be more assertive.

On the upside thanks to wonderful Fly Lady the house looks fairly ok.

Off to panto now to cheer me and DD up.

A good day, now it is done and dusted.

woke up feeling familiar feeling of dread at having to get everyone out of the house in smart clothes (including self)and wait for it - we were still late to Auntie's Boxing Day Luncheon, when my [elderly] uncle hates people being late - so were sitting in the inevitable traffic jam (I HATE WESTFIELD it is a blot on the map) without (forgot them) mobile phones feeling more and more desperate and all screaming at each other. Luckily everyone else was late too, including my mum who lives down the road from my Aunt so that was a bit of a storm in a teacup (swearing at buses which were pulling into our stream etc etc)

So it feels like heaven to be home again. So much traffic, lovely lunch eaten, loads of relatives seen, and home at last with no-one to please but ourselves. Sons in good form, and dd now cuddling a giant Eeyore which she bought herself in the Disney shop sale. They have both sworn never ever again to "leisure"shop on Boxing Day, apparently a complete nightmare with clothes being trampled underfoot by deranged people.

Cuddle feeling for you, what a horrible start to the holidays. They probably think they are keeping you company at a difficult time, but sometimes you just need to be alone (or at a pinch be looked after at least) to think it all through. Very sorry about your poor Dad, even if it was expected. Pantos are wonderful for changing the way the world feels. x

Hi all! I've had a lovely day but I've come home and the house is well and truly in chaos! Going to spend tonight taking things out of packaging and putting toys together, and I will be flying and finding places for everything tomorrow!

Will be back later tonight with links!

My mobile Internet keeps losing my text when I go to get more than one link and click back

So here is a summary of tomorrow's links along with a clicky for missions for those that want it!

Thursday is errand day.

Babystep 27 is planning what you are having for dinner in advance. Many of the fledglings meal plan, I do a changeable weekly one when I write my shopping list.

Tomorrow's mission, along with all of this weeks missions is here

We are in zone 5: the living room!

I hope everyone has had a lovely day!

Mainly been flat on my back today, a herd of elephants seems to have trampled me in my sleep, but it?s been a nice quiet day. I shall have to be able to sort things tomorrow though.

Cuddled so sorry for the loss of your Dad.
Hope Dh?s son and partner are young enough to be re-trained.

Lplate happily the launderette understood the needs of the desperately disorganised and stayed open late on Christmas Eve. Have a lovely time in France.

Engels Fil your very own Christmas miracle!

Swan that was incredibly brave of them to hit the sales. No helpfulness here unless you spell out exactly what you need, and remember that implied meaning just doesn't exist.

Lauren good luck with finding places.

So sorry about your dad, Cuddledup. Hope you're ok.

We had a lovely Christmas meal cooked entirely by DP, he does a cracking roast. We had duck, just enough for Christmas dinner with enough left for butties for lunch today.

This evening we had a really awful Boxing Day dinner with PIL. Sorry, that is mean of me, it was very nice of them to have us over. (But it was awful.) Next year it'll be our turn to host them, so they'll be able to say what they like about my cooking :)

So anyway, this flying business.... yeah. Haven't done any. I put some laundry in today, that's about it. Will try and get back on track tomorrow, but with DP off all the routines go out the window. I'd much rather enjoy the time having him at home than do housework. Still, I might shove the vacuum round, just so I can say I've done something.