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!!

aw at your lo Lauren

Thanks sc it was fine - just frosty. But having got up at 5.50 to battle through the non-existent snow and with a broken fridge here so I can't even have a cup of tea, I was less than impressed at DH's melodramatic eye-roll and strop because I forgot to put a freezer block in his lunch

Oh dear Trazzles must be so stressful for both of you.

Hope they get that wretched fridge fixed soon.

Very impressed you are even making your dh lunch at that hour btw never mind the ice block!!!

No it was leftovers from last night - kindly cooked by a friend. It was a delicious homemade curry that I knew he would love but he didn't have any yesterday because he was in here. I prepped it all last night so only had to get it out of the fridge this morning.

But you know, rather than: thanks for bringing my lunch in, I get and why the hell didn't you bring a freezer block.

Grrrrrrrrrr.

I know, I know. Just his way of coping but still...

Trazzles I guess you're right about the coping mechanisms but slightly suprised he's not wearing it.
Wishing the weather to be considerate to you.

SC not looking like it's possible to have even one room salvaged in the time. Things aren't drying out and it's looking like insurance is dissolving as we speak. 'Bedinshed' needs it back for Christmas visitors and at the moment I don't have a clue what to do.

Right now dump list is:
Suppress panic
P/O
Bank
Storage company
Citizens advice
Shopping
Laundry
Ironing
Dinner

Just a quick post to say Toffee remember you are doing Home Ed your way, not to impress LEA lady..there must be loads of convos and stuff you cover which cannot be written on a mere piece of paper.
SC lovely image of St Nick on the roof
Madwoman equally lovely image of wolves dogs gambolling in the blue light of dawn..

No snow here. Dh and I had a massive row on his 50th culmination of much aggro. Row has now morphed into a Christmas row
Can't actually see this ever improving, may just have to wait until Spring as Dec is a tinderbox of bad feelings, generally. And always has been. Les Arrangements, one might say, never suit.

Despite this, and you may say I am crazy, I am enjoying Dh working from home!!! So that is good. He is also enjoying working from home (as long as I am not in it!) - he loves his study and the view, and the freedom to come and go as he pleases, minus the evil commute!

A beautiful fluffy cat is sitting on the kitchen table, looking adorable, about to drape herself over the computer..and I must now organise some new jumpers for ds1 who has given up hope of finding the two he has lost, and it is now really very cold so I shall have to buy him one [grrr]

Oh yes, and ds1 at home today, says he is ill. I suspect it is because he hates D & T (everyone else's favourite subject) and this is contributing to loss of morale/glands.. Dyspraxia saga drags on. GP managed to reduce me to tears asking me to bring him to assess for referral...AGAIN, yet another assessment, back and forth like a badminton shuttlecock.. School lady sending a letter, so maybe things are moving forward a bit.

Good morning! December always seems to be the busiest month of the year. When you're a child it drags it's heels, but as an adult, it whizzes by way, way too quickly.

My to do's
after work -
tea,
surface clean in each room in anticipation of cards and Christmas decs
make chocolate brownie for Christmas fair
downstairs hoover (if I can be a**ed)
possibly start wrapping but that all depends on how poorly boy is feeling.

done:-
Ds2 to docs (hold off on antibiotics unless cough worsens)
me to work
plough through list of jobs here!

Swan - yes, I know we don't have to impress the LEA lady, but it's my school-girlish desire to win approval coming out . We have just changed the date so I have more time to get sorted now, so am panicking less.

Sorry about DS1 being referred again, Swan. I know it's hard, but it's best for your son if he gets the help he needs.

Just flying in and out, but your post caught my eye.

DH is home and shouting up at me to phone for a taxi for his mum, who has been in for tea. Why he or his mother can't phone for a taxi themselves is beyond me. They are both downstairs (near the phone) and I am upstairs.

good afternoon all been busy with friends and have joined slimming world, so I will hopefully have updates of body clutter going down as well as house clutter :) decorating is still a painstakingly slow process but we now have white banisters just 5 doors, frames, and a bit of skirting to go, the carpet to be laid then the hall way should be done.

Just it would have woken up the rest of the ward

phew, did John Lewis order, why can I never find anything to buy online and when I physically shop it is all so tempting???
Anyway scraped together some items, and Ds's school jumpers. So a few presents down, including Duplo for niece. And one for Brother.

Trazzle I suspect grumpy irrational husbands are why Santa was invented.
Hope your day has improved.

Well ds is listening to a very festive Guys and Dolls soundtrack..what sounds like Bing Crosby singing Sky Masterson, definitely not Marlon Brandon Hope this is not cover for him sneaking off elsewhere to watch telly..

time for a cup of tea. Another pretty well wasted day apart from the jumpers.

Hi all; sorry, only just got back on here

Day has disappeared in the blink of an eye as usual without much to be shown for it either.

Just dashing through as have to pick up dd from tennis, and then deliver St Nic presents ...

Toffee meant to wish you well with LEA lady this morning and forgot. Good to hear you have a bit of a reprieve ...

Trazzles (now have image of your dh wearing chicken korma on his suit) Hope your day improved x

Swan Sorry about referral and how you are being shuttle-cocked back and forth by everyone - must be really tough. Sympathies re Christmas tensions too - agree - this is always a very tense time of year (esp with extended families in different countries). DD has so far lost a hat, a glove, a jumper and two work books this term btw if it's any consolation. Hope your ds1 recovers soon. Great to hear that home-working for your dh is proving a good thing for you all!!

Jdub cor blimey yes - the month is speeding past ....I need someone to halt time for just a week or so, so I can catch up ... Hope your ds feels better shortly.

Justgettingonwithit so sorry to hear about insurance situation. Can you get the place condemned as 'unfit for human dwelling' or whatever the correct legal phrase is. Sorry if I am stating the bloody obvious and that you have already broached a million times, but if things are not drying out then it sounds like it is v. unhealthy/unfit for habitation... Aren't there laws about this sort of thing?? Hope Citizens Advice can help.

Gossip well done on weight loss initiative. Need to do something similar. I am the heaviest I have ever been (83 kg) atm.

Had better go ....waves to eveyrone else!

*

Tomorrow it is babystep seven: laying out the next days clothes

Fridays focus is cleaning out your car and purse

The mission is cleaning the kitchen floor

We are in zone 2 the kitchen . For those who are up to detailed cleaning the detailed cleaning lists are here .

*

I have read the thread but I'm going to be rubbish and just post my Ta Da and run.

Just want to say though that I'm thinking of justgettingon I can't even begin to imagine the nightmare you are dealing with so close to Christmas too!

Ta da:
Paid rest of DD birthday party venue
Went for petrol
Post office
Walked dogs
routines
school run *2
Took DD to visit santa
Cleaned rubbish out of car
Tidied playroom
Put things in summer house
Silvanians in the loft
My laundry and towels away
Written a shopping list for ikea trip at the weekend

Off to eat takeaway and watch rubbish TV. Be back tomorrow

Another post and run - sorry.

Did home ed with reluctant DS1. We are studying healthy eating in Biology, which has made me horribly aware of my own unhealthy eating (all DH's fault for coming home from Tesco with large packet of chocolate marshmallows).

Have made a 'to do' list for every day up until 21st because my head was spinning with everything to be done. I'm not sure if I'm now feeling better because I know what has to be done when or worse because there is so much to do .

Hope to get back for personals soon.

I should be in bed but seem to have caught DC's excitement and can't settle yet - they met Tom Daly tonight . He's filming some sort of Strictly Come Diving type programme at our super-duper new pool and was in the dry-diving bit talking to the kids when we turned up for DD's lesson.
Neither can quite believe it but have autographs to prove he was real :)

So sorry for those with grumpy, argumentative DHs, stressful Christmas arrangements and poorly people. Extra special thoughts to Justgettingon, I am in awe at how you are living up to your name, makes me quite humble when I think I've got stuff to moan about.

I will gloss over today's Flying attempts as they are few, maybe a list for tomorrow will help

• All up and out
• Washing (put in machine and forgot to turn on today, only found out when came to hang it up tonight )
• Tea towel and craft money sorted (School Assoc related)
• Menu plan, shopping list, shop
• Buy toy for party
• Christmas crafts sorted for next week - cutting card and glueing calendars!
• School disco - set up, act as bouncer/trouble shooter, pack away!
• Collapse in heap

Not much Flying on there May I join the request for time to slow down please?

Sleep now I think...

Evening. Didn't need the coffee. Was ill so slept. been out this evening. Aparently your side of the hills is in the middle of a maasive dump of snow Ellie and yet we have not. Sleety rain. And it is too warm for snow with a whole 1.5C showing on the car thermo. :( Looks like there won't be snow for me for a while. Not that I am jealous or anything.

Need to do some flying tomo. Hopefully will feel better after tea and some sleep.

Really annoyed that I posted this morning and my message disappeared!

Going well with morning routine here, largely ignoring babysteps and not yet managed 15 mins in the zone. Ah well, so so much to do still here. All boxes must be unpacked by Monday morning so heaps to do before then.

Updated todo list:
Put away handbags
Unpack suitcases (to where???)
Unpack the rest of the clothing boxes.
Put away clean laundry.

I'll be thrilled if I can get through that tonight.

Morning! Still no flying to report. More a case of survival at the moment, i really need the end of term to come fast!

On a positive note i am nearly done xmas shopping and have been quite the bargain hunter this year. I have also realised how spoilt my kids must normally be as looking at those threads on how much you spend i realise that the amount i have spent because we are skint is the amount a lot of people spend all the time. A lesson learnt!

bitchy if it helps, the massive dump didn't reach me and we now have a massive dump of rain instead.

just and trazzle i continue to be in awe of you mental strength and composure in such different but trying times.

I can't remember anymore as it is early and am on phone so can't scroll back!

Have a good day everyone.

[Brrrrrrr, returns from school/bakery run, stamps snow from boots and lays out tray of warm croissants and scalding coffee in the naughty corner for one and all]

Crikey, it's cold out there, 0°c to be precise. A huge blanket of snow has fallen and blizzard type snowstorm in progress atm. DD went to bed at 10.30 pm (ridiculously late for a school night) because we had an unexpected visitor for supper (fortunately one of those ones aforementioned by Ellie who doesn't mind the mess) but felt somewhat embarrassed as I removed dd's socks, books, magazines, pens, biscuit crumbs, DS cables and chargers etc from a sofa in order to be able to offer him a seat . Anyway, too much wine was drunk and we are all bleary eyed and grumpy this morning. DD needed delicate handling to get her out of the door poor thing. And I've cancelled the cleaner (again) as the place is too messy to negotiate. Not sure this is the wisest of strategies - it's certainly a waste of money. Oh dear ....

Have written out an action list to get me through the weekend and like Toffee so aptly put

"...not sure if I'm now feeling better because I know what has to be done when or worse because there is so much to do." "Hear, hear" to that!!

Huge waves to Ellie - top marks for the bargain hunting, have a good day yourself!

Just and Trazzles ditto what Ellie and Feetheart said

Good luck with the unpacking ComradeJ Just out of interest - where do you keep your handbags if you don't mind me asking? Mine are all floating around the house driving me mad.

Hope you feel better today Bitchy

Feetheart wow about Tom Daley!! How brilliant for your dc to meet a true Olympian in the flesh!!

Lauren¨had wierd vision of you ushering a Sylvanian family up the loft steps in to the roof yesterday ...

Oh lawdy, marmite on toast and tea has been consumed. I can delay no longer. Better get on with it.

Have a productive day everyone!!

Morning all. Have done no flying for days but the kitchen floor really needs mopping so will try to do that at least.

Big waves to all and on bar...

I need to mop my floor too, and dust cobwebs form corners, several loads of washing, OU work, Christmas cards.

First though a thank you Blue.

It's snowing here. Proper big flakes. Doubt it'll settle as the ground is very wet, but it's very cold, icy wind.