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!!

[BitchyDragons]

hope you are all having lovely evenings.


Ds has just asked to go to bed. I am partaking in a small quantity of alcohol and probably following suit. Feeling terrible old and boring tonight. Ah well should mean that tomo starts as 2013 should carry on. hitting the ground running.

See you all in 2013! Night.

[superfluouscurves]

Pssst, it's me SC (and I think I just might be [hic!!]

New thread over here

Hope you are all having [hic] luv-er-ly [hic] evenings ....

Humungous thanks to Lauren for being organised enough to lead us throughout the busy month of December whilst carrying out parent- and child-minding duties, horse husbandry and Christmas prep all at the same time!!

Happpyyyyy Newwww Yeeaaaaarrrr!!!!!

[Jamillalliamilli]

Waves hi to Silvery anyone new I?ve missed, (sorry all the festive name changing?s confused my poor addled brain) and everyone, and drags self out of naughty corner. (told you I?d make a good drip tray)

Have spent good part of today out buying up cheap supplies for Christmas 2013, (and Only 259 days to go! ) and cheap veg ,two blue IKEA bags full and £7.85 spent!

Have re ? sandbagged flat and crossed my fingers for the evening.

I need to get this out of my system so please excuse me. Friend chose yesterday when we?d finally managed to settle into post-Christmas bonhomie to launch into demanding opinions on what constitutes common decency and then scream at me for the best part of two hours and slam the phone down when I didn't affirm hers, so while I've called tonight, listened and tried to be decent as she tried to lead me down contentious paths, I'm buggered if I'm up for more of the same, and am resolving not to be treated so badly in 2013 in the name of being decent. Please feel free to remind me to scrub the Welcome of my forehead if you see it.

Still to do:
Make alcoholic cream and butter
Finish cooking and eat Christmas pudding
Drink alcohol
Force offspring to commit to NY resolutions
Stay awake long enough to see in New Year
Go to sleep swiftly afterwards!

[swanthingafteranother]

We've had quite a nice evening so far. They are watching James Bond, and staying up!
Dcs cooked supper from Jamie Oliver, which they found tremendously exciting
Then we did colouring my children are so dreadful at colouring that counts as major excitement. We coloured in historical pictures [sad person] Dh is very good at it, an undiscovered talent
We also played Scrabble. Dh pointed out I had not played it willingly for 12 years. It was fun! I won

Now I mentioned the "t" word (tidying) as a possible activity for tomorrow, but t
This was not popular.

Read a brilliant book "Quality of Mercy"by Unsworth, which am still brooding over.

About to read a less brillant book called Mutton, about 47 year olds with fading charms..

House a complete tip again. When are the bin men back, that is the burning question?

SC I am on a diet. So far so perrier. I feel so fat atm, so I am resorting back to my earlier methods of no alcohol and no snacking, which worked before. On the other hand, had dauphinoise for supper

[swanthingafteranother]

Just Have you tried ranting to her about something and see if she manages to put up with it for long? I would be tempted to call her bluff on that, and then you will work out just how self centred she really is. Unbelievable after all you are dealing with. You must be exuding too much serenity and forbearance. It is not on. Does she do this to anyone else?

Happy New Year! I love the buying veg for Christmas 2013 in advance (sorry I know you didn't mean that) Ikea is a wonder isn't it.

Hope the sandbags are working, fingers very very tightly crossed.

[superfluouscurves]

Justgettingonwithit what a shame your friend's idea of common decency doesn't include speaking reasonably on the phone!! Poor you!! [Hides Justgettingonwithit's welcome mat] Hope you keep dry over New Year!! And congrats on v. impressive prep for next Christmas ...

Swan Speaking of mutton dressed as lamb and fading charms I am so fat I nearly couldn't fit in to my new Christmas outfit, bought in November. Certainly didn't feel nice in it. I think I was 81 kg (which is v. porky for me) when some of us not me started body declutter initiative and I am now 84kg. Feel so heavy and unfit it's horrible Absolutely determined to do something about it this year. Cannot go on creeping up and up. Have pinned fat photograph of myself on 'fridge and printed out BBC health and fitness programme for tomorrow. Will be exercising determinedly and eating soup and fruit salad tomorrow.

Read Unsworth's Morality Play a while back but haven't read that one ...

As for interesting New Year's eve activities for dc ... I am ashamed to say that we iced the Christmas cake tonight (dh is taking a large wodge of it with him tomorrow) it just didn't get done before we went away and as we were all a bit drunk in high spirits, it seems to have ended up with a Playmobil Father Christmas on it, accompanied by a horse, two guinea pigs, and a dachshund

How's the decorating going/gone Bitchy??

Huge waves to Lauren, Whoknows Ellie Silvery cuddledup
goth Blue Toffee Nomoreresolutions¨Pennyapple and everyone else!!

Off to hang out of windows and take in neighbourhood fireworks ...

[MrsPennyapple]

Just want to wish everyone a Happy New Year, see you on the January thread!

[Jamillalliamilli]

Swan no chance of ranting and you?d pay later if you tried, but in fairness the self-centeredness goes with the territory and she wouldn?t deny it.
There?s no one else left to do it to, half the reason I end up taking the brunt. Everyone left her when things got tough and now it?s all a vicious circle. It?s not her fault but at the same time she has to try and not drive me to the point where I?ve had enough either. Refusing to be drawn on her feelings tonight and being quite firm on what I wasn?t prepared to talk about until she was in a more settled state probably made the point more than anything. (though I don?t feel great about it)
If the parsnip cake works out (it will be either delicious or dreadful!) then I will sort of have brought veg for Christmas 2013, as I?ll be making one then!

SC I love the cake decorations! We?ve just finished half a huge Christmas pudding, and our cakes yet to be iced. I?m inserting a bean up through its nether regions and am going to make an icing crown and serve it as epiphany cake!

Poor d/s has managed to fall face down and break his braces and cut his mouth, but at least he managed to have eaten the pudding before he did it. Has been promised a B52 to see in the New Year with, but I think it?s going to sting.

Happy new year Mrs Pennyapple!

[WhoKnowsWhereTheMistletoes]

Been playing Monopoly with DH and the DCs for about 5 hiurs and no signs of flagging.

[BitchyDragons]

Happy new year!
ds asked to go to bed just after 7pm. i went to bed around 8pm ish. got woken up by someone trying to blow the village up at midnight. And they didn't succeed. Fire engine has just gone out. Hoping it is nothing too serious.

Decorating was done with exception of gloss that may or maynot get done. Putting stuff back in room post decorating is slow progress as i refuse to have anything go back that hasn't been sorted. which means the room is still looking posh and tidy. Am hoping to keep it this way.

Right going to try to go back to sleep. may 2013 treat you all kindly!

[superfluouscurves]

arf at Justgettingonwithits surgical procedure on nether regions of Christmas cake and Whoknow's marathon monopoly session ...

Hope your village survived the onslaught Bitchy

[superfluouscurves]

We are over here btw!!