Making a New start, Stepping into the New year

[BlackCatinChristmasChaos]

Hi all, After a pretty rough ride last year (2012) I think I feel ready to start again with babysteps
So who's with me for the journey?

Old and new steppers are welcome!

Lets do this one small step at a time!

Really struggling today - feeling pretty low and haven't done any work yet ( or much of anything else!! )

Off to do an hour's work - I have lessons to teach tomorrow!

I feel Luke I need to go back a few weeks and make a fresh start after all the disruption of wintercamp and norovirus. nothing's looking too bad - just not as good as it was before then.

Adora I'm you agreed to leave the heat to go somewhere cold. I'm sure you'll have a fab time though.

Scout I'm glad SB has got over whatever was bugging him yesterday.

Sorry you're feeling low arti. I hope it's temporary. What/where/who do you teach?

I can't believe you're feeling disorganised Helles. You always seem on top of things.

Today's Tadas

Up and dressed
Breakfast for dcs
Beds made
DW emptied and restacked
School run x 2
Take dd to drama and home
Shopping (food)
Shopping (pants,socks,vests for ds2)
Dinner
Washing up
Shined sink

I'm now in a hot bath and I'm going to watch silent witness with a glass of wine before bed. I'm also going to do more of my crochet. I love crochet. :)

TOWTH I know, it's also summer down there so not genuinely cold. I've been checking the temp in the location and it's around 15-17C, so I think I'll survive

Spoke to bank, all very confusing as they say they didn't contact me, anyway card's okay and the right transactions have gone through.

Went out for lunch, were supposed to go out tonight but I don't know what OH has in mind now, he's busy packing. 2 loads of washing so that OH has the right shirts and enough socks. Bit of shopping, just fruit, so that I could get cards to put in OH's case, he's away for his birthday
Had bloke in to deal with the alarm, it's been malfunctioning, all fixed now.

Still To Do

Work out what's happening re dinner
Dig out a new toothpaste, OH can't locate it
Bring in dry clean washing

Book puppies in with kennels (probably do that Monday)
Get puppy food(see above)
Sort out tracky bottoms (tomorrow)
Do meal plan for next week (this means rummaging in the freezer to make sure I'm using things before buying more, it's all got a bit out of control and disorganised )

Hair - I'm a tutor so get to teach at weird and wonderful times when the children are out of school (like Saturday mornings)! I teach a range of ages and subjects -currently youngest student is 8 and and eldest 16. I teach numeracy and literacy at primary level, 11+ and other school entrance and science and maths up to GCSE. I really love it as it is possible to make a really big difference and I love seeing the children grow in confidence and self esteem.

Have managed a bit over 1 1/2 hours of work and had a hot bath. I need to dry hair and sort myself out a bit more for tomorrow. I still have another lesson to prepare but may do that first thing tomorrow instead!

Ta das

Done food shop and another errand.
Some (not as much as I should have done) work
Hung out washing on airer
Emptied and re-filled dishwasher
2 items identified to go in Charity Shop Bag.
Given away an item to friend ( storage box shelf thing that I wasn't using and will be ideal for her nephew)
Scattered random items around flat instead of putting them away properly!

Need to dry hair and have a quick tidy up.

Hi all, Hope everyone is o.k.

Sorry I haven't been here everyday to post the links.

Will post tomorrow's in a minute.

It is quite common for people to start to feel like they might want to give up when they get so far along --I have many times but you just need to try and pick yourself up and do what you can. It's o.k. though to have a day off if you need it I do--

• babystep 19 *

Good to know black cat. I have been feeling quite pressured during the week. I do have a few commitments with work, ds, cub meetings/camps/related planning, church and occasional tutoring so I've decided to pare down to key tasks on a week day: shiny sink (which leads me to wipe over whole kitchen plus dinner table), hot spotting and s&s in bathroom, Hoover as required. Then - on weekends - do a full day's schedule plus whatever else I have time for.

I'll still keep checking in though, if that's ok?
I would rather do the main things that make me feel confident about my house than do nothing because I freaking out about the length of my list - if that makes sense?

That makes lots of sense Helles, I think it's o.k to just take bits of flylady steps that work for you and prioritise(sp) what is most important for you.

It will be good if you keep checking in here though even if it's just to chat.

Someone once told me if something seems like too much to do (meaning your "to do" list, for eg) break it down into smaller amounts.

This is a good thing to learn as it doesn't all seem so overwhelming then.
--need to remind myself of this some days--

Helles absolutely check in whenever you feel like it, you don't need a huge Ta Da list to have a chat.

I'll be back sometime tomorrow, after taking OH to the airport and consoling DDs.

DW is on and I'm doing some web surfing while OH finishes prepping.

Morning all, I am not dressed yet, still lazing around in pj's but then it is the weekend!
I have done a bit of paperwork sorting and a bit of hoovering. Sorting a few things out that we might be able to sell too.

What's everyone else up to?

I love and hate Saturdays in equal measure.

Lazy morning (I'm not dressed either) followed by manic afternoons running the dcs here, there and everywhere.

I have done DW and tidied the living room.

Later I have to

Do lunch
Take dd to dancing
Argue with ds1 about tonight's curfew
Food shopping
Buy Christmas present for my parents ( not as bad as it sounds, they've been in Aus since the beginning of December)
Pick dd up from dancing
Do dinner (unless I can get dh to do it)

Still in pyjamas too. So far:
cancelled car into garage today (roads wretched here)
washed up and shone sink
swapped over drying on airer
hot spot understairs
hoovered through downstairs
knitted 5 rows
read a chapter of current book

to do:
15min declutter study
take parcel and cheque to post office
go to friends house for night in with the girls

oh! and my new bed frame is being delivered today so I will be putting that up with my new electric screwdriver

night in with girls cancelled due to conditions. I live the nearest (200 yards) so hadn't thought about how the others would manage

Helles - Shhh don't tell the others bu I don't do any all of Flylady either but do follow some of her principles. I find this thread really helpful and encouraging to get on and do stuff, whether Flylady or other housekeepingish tasks! No-one has thrown me off the thread yet !

That's educatongarti I think, on weekdays - particularly after being away all last weekend - I felt so overwhelmed by everything on the list that, because I couldn't do everything I didn't do anything the joys of being a perfectionist-procrastinator!

Ta Da's

Got up at Outrageous o'clock, for a Saturday.
Dressed, woke DDs up, coffee - all at the same time as we were a tad late.
Left for airport at 6.40 AM instead of 6.30 AM crime of the century
Breakfast at airport
Waved OH off through the officials
Shopping, DDs had to get supplies to make a birthday banner for when OH returns, you understand this could not wait.
More coffee
Home by midday
Tried to snooze, too hot
TV is currently on, casual snacks are being munched , I can't see much changing anytime soon.

Helles sorry your night in got cancelled, and ^Arti* is right, you won't get kicked out for not being a slave to Flylady

Anyone creative? I need some wrapping ideas....

Scout Rowan Atkinson in Love Actually. You will need:
Boxes
Ribbon
Bag
dried roses
dried lavender
holly

at Helles.

I always tell myself that doing something is better than doing nothing

Today we took the girls to their swimming lessons (roads all clear here) & met up with the family for lunch. DH has gone out this evening so I got to put two very overtired & emotional DDs to bed.

This evening I have filled in some more of a horendously long form I need to do for work - only a few more questions to go, but have realised I had better make a start on next weeks meal plan (all suggestions welcomed!) or I will end up doing that & the online order tomorrow night (and that is too much bordom for me to tolerate in the same evening)

what/who are you trying to wrap scout? I'm not at all creative, just nosey!

Ta das from yesterday:
showered and dressed to lace up shoes
bought crib for DC1
bought dream-genii pregnancy pillow
tidied kitchen
2 loads washing
DW unloaded and reloaded
cooked yummy curry

To dos for today
Online banking
Re-clean kitchen (the fairies mess it up overnight I'm sure)
Hoover and dust living room
Change bedding and turn mattress
2 more loads washing
Plan out budget for all necessary DC accoutrements
15 mins in study/room from hell

How's everyone else's Sunday shaping up?

This morning's ta da's:
up, showered and dressed on waking
changed my bedding
ds bedding in washer
swapped drying on airer

must:
make this week's sandwiches
prepare contents of slow cooker for tomorrow night's tea
iron school shirts
clean and spray school shoes
check ds pe kit in bag

should:
declutter in study (poss 2 x 30 mins)