The Fledglings' nests will be clean in 2013!

[superfluouscurves]

(With many thanks to Jdub for title inspiration!!)

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 (although some Fledglings find the compilation e-mails helpful)! 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 vocabulary along the way).

Huge thanks to Lauren for being our incredibly reliable and organised shining star in the East and leading us throughout the very busy month of December!!

Happy New Year Fledglings!!

All welcome!!

Again it is a much later night than planned so a quick update and only a brief glimse through previous threads. I'm also a teacher but only do one regular day a week plus occasional supply days. Teach 2-19 year olds with severe profound and multiple learning difficulties so often find my class is similar to life at home in the ability (and behaviour!) of the children.

Had a productive day and have loved the shiny sink!!

Lounge / dining room looking lovely and Christmas free although playroom is full of junk and pine needles as that is where the Christmas travelled through on its way out. DS3 was devasted - DS1 and DS2 never had this reaction to the end of Christmas
Washing generally upto date and ironing pile is smaller than my youngest child so a real achievement!
Online shop done

Really must write that routine but off to bed now to get ready for an early start tomorrow - acheived all boys in bed early so hopefully they will cope with the early morning

Good morning to you all!

After what was the most epic of fails in terms of sleep I am up bright and early and almost ready to think about getting stuff done.

ta da
Up and ready for going out -including scrambled eggs for breakfast and a proper pot of coffee -luxuary--
15mins of laundry folding

See you all when i get back. time to go.

Morning all. Im awake bright and early again, not sure why - I usually struggle to wake up

To do:
Breakfast
Dressed
Make beds
Ss
Room rescue dcs room, living room, kitchen
Dw
Hang dcs sheets out
Wash our sheets
Dcs lunches
School run
Home bleurgh
Meal plan
Food shop
Mission
Ironing
School run
Interview prep
Dentist
Dc dinner
Dd dance lesson

Wow its going to be a busy day! Big wing flaps to everyone

Morning all. Just a quick check in before the day begins.
Lori don't worry too much about writing out your routine. It will be a babystep soon.
Right, off to check links and then get cracking.
Have a good day, will be back this evening

Eugh. That is all I have to say. Although am trying to be good and do morning routine which means I need to get my arse off here and get on.

Have a good day everyone.

Eugh indeed Ellie

Never have I started a year less prepared or with more can't-be-arsed-ness or or with more clutter...

...but there you are!! Hoping I'm going to get my Flying mojo back soon ...going to try and fake until I make it !!

Dh is ill with flu (he is going back to bed which is unheard of)

DD was as good as gold this morning and went off to school with a smile bless her !!

To do (cackles hysterically) :
try desperately to find a pair of trousers with a zip I can do up done (just)
morning routine inc dw, wm, s&s, rabbits done
sink is shiny
fold towels
hang up washing
wash dh socks
as much decluttering in boudoir as poss
kitchen mission
hot spots
visit photographers shop
prep canvas with gesso
recycling
quick ground floor home bleugh
recycling
art acad
school & ballet run
hwk and thank you letter supervision
try on and spray dd new boots
sort laundry
afternoon/eve routine
early bed
should exercise but doubt that is going to get done
should get to supermarket too but doubt that will happen either

Bitchy gloss paint is a bit of a bummer isn't it. Hope shiny new bedroom taking shape though.

Well done re: your clean and sparkly loung/dining room Loris

Castle thanks - yes I hate dc getting hwk during the holidays - they work hard enough during term time. Have fun with the kilner jars!

Have a good day Castle Mercury Silvery and everyone else!

lilleth I'm not a teacher either!

At the moment I'm a most-of-the-time carer and a very part-time solicitor.

I have a lot of respect for teachers because there is no way I would do it. Not so much respect for my old housemate at Uni who was doing the primary pgce and couldn't count to 10 though.

Good morning everyone! Just a quick dump while I'm waiting for mindee to arrive! DD is still in bed, she's going to get a shock when I have school runs

To do:
DD and mindee to playgroup
Home bleurgh
Today's mission- did light fitting yesterday but rest needs doing
Clean inside of windows
Pay bill
Put money in bank
Walk dogs
Clean out guinea pigs
Sort out kitchen table hotspot
Dog poo!
Door frames and doors. And handles

BBL!

I'm not teaching at the minute, but I am qualified. I graduated then retrained to childmind so I didn't have to leave DD while she was so young (8 months)

I teach English and Drama in an International school in Dutchland Lilleth. 3 days - nice balance with 2 days at home with DS (nearly 15mo). Really common here though. DH also has one day off a week with DS and of the 150 teachers in my school maybe only half of them work full time.

Sitting here knowing I should crack on with the rest of my marking so I can enjoy at least some of the day but haven't quite summoned up the strength yet. Maybe one more coffee...

Good luck to all those heading back to school/work or having to pack DC's off.

Trazzle one of my friends had to take the Literacy test 10 times before he passed (at least he wasn't training to be a English teacher ). My Dsis does primary and I don't think I could do it - having to teach Maths would do me in I'm afraid.

sc I find a good hysterical cackle wil set me up for the rest of the day
I know what you mean about not feeling at home in UK. I think I feel like NL is more my home now - but maybe that's also because DH is Dutch and we're surrounded by his family. Bit different to your situation I guess. Otoh, DH knows much more about British language and culture than I do about Dutch (even though I've lived here for 5 and a half years and he's never lived in UK). We speak English together, watch lots of English TV/Films and play games and stuff with my family. A lot of Dutch popular culture goes over my head (their television and Dutch language music is dire). I tend to fall back into smiling and nodding when I have no idea what FIL or elderly auntIL are going on about (or cackle hysterically - I can always blame being a foreigner on any odd behaviour).

Quick post as about to head out the door

Most importantly: Good luck to all those teachers heading back today.

Done
Dd ready for school- with enough time for me to post & her to read! It won't last
Windows
Beds (made not changed, did that yesterday)
Wash load done last night

To do
Errands in town
Applications
Mission
Dinner
Wash up & shine sink
Ironing

Oh God, barely keeping up with the thread! But I am flying! I think teachers are usually quite organised and that's why there's so many of us on this thread I'm sure I used to be!
Ta da:
Sink shone
Breakfast done, cleared away and washed up
School run%231
cup of tea
Let baby sleep on me (bad habit, but LOVELY!)
Watch Woof with DS!

To do:
Playgroup
Nursery run
Load of washing
Put away washing
Online shop
Daily mission
School run%232/collect DS from nursery
Ballet run

I go back to work soon (on maternity leave at the mo) not sure how I'm going to fit work in!!!!

Morning all!

ta das:
up
load dw
prep packed lunch for me
made pancakes
sort clothes for ds2
get to work on time

to dos:
dust
make thank you cards
hoover
wash kitchen floor
washing folded and away
stealth toy cull
bags to charity shop

Have a productive day x

Hello, just joining this thread as I've just started the Flylady stuff yesterday. I started the babysteps yesterday - I shined my sink yesterday and am dressed to shoes today (was easy - slippers at work kinda frowned upon!). I'm hoping this thread can help keep me on track and understand the flylady system - I'm finding the flylady website confusing!

Lilleth - I'm not a teacher either. Worked in the booktrade, then trained as a childminder when DS1 was young and am now home educating him. DS2 goes to school.

Went to bed too late last night, but at least I had prepared everything beforehand, so this morning wasn't too much of a shock. Managed to get DS2 to school in good time.

Have put an embarrassingly large number of bin bags out for collection this morning, as I missed the first rubbish collection after Xmas .

DS1 and I are planning this term's work together today and he's going to do a bit of handwriting and Maths practise.

Good luck to all the teachers back at work today.

SC - I know what you mean by not feeling like you have a ?home? I?m originally from Australia, been in the UK for 10 years. First 6 years in London, then moved out to a commuter town. It is only these last 4 years that I have slowly started to feel like I am making a home here. Can get a bit lonely at times....

Bitchy - that?s why I?ve used water based paints. The stairs will actually be done in eggshell paint, can?t be doing with this 16 hours minimum drying time malarkey. If you?ve got an old duvet cover, pin it to the door frame (duvet cover better than a sheet, as double thickness). What it lacks in elegance it makes up for in privacy!

Welcome Snowgirl! - Just make sure you have the OP?s posts highlighted and you will easily find the missions and other guidance for each day.

Dammit! I think I am on the tail end of codeine withdrawal. Full strength doses of ibuprofen and cocodamol for a week after my injury, then reducing the cocodamol gradually over the second week as the pain reduced (was waiting for the intense pain to kick in before taking a dose). Stopped entirely when I bought a gel rub and was jittery and restless all day yesterday.

Still a little on edge this morning, will try and put it to good use and get cracking on the cleaning.

Tada
-DS1 up, fed, dressed with school bag and (VERY reluctantly) out the house and off to school (DH kindly went into work late and did the school run so that I didn?t have to do the walk, and take DS2 with me)

• DS2 fed and calmed down (has had a lot of together time with big brother!)
• 1 load of of washing done and hung up
• 1 load of washing in machine
• breakfast dishes all in dishwasher
• kitchen counters tidied
• drink bottles all washed (but still on draining board)

To do

• Today?s mission
• Declutter lounge room
• 15 minutes ironing
• Put away clean washing

I am hoping to focus on one room a day. Lounge room was planned for today as DS2 was supposed to be at nursery, but need to wait for the 48 period to pass so he?s at home with me today.

Dammit - today's missing is looking (and a bit of climbing) UP.

This might be tricky....

:D I'm down to my last TWO boxes! Both are full of pictures for the wall. Study isn't finished - I still need to sort, dejunk and find a home for everything but we're mostly there. After that the rest of the house needs doing too but it will at least look presentable.

Can I ask - what are most people's daily routines like? What do you do every day to keep you flying/fluttering?

Ta-da!

School run
Hoovered downstairs
3rd load of washing on
Shined sink and hotspotted kitchen
Swept and mopped kitchen and bathroom floors
Printed invitations for DCs birthday party
Placed Ocado order
Pelvic floor exercises - I know it's not Flying but I like to remind you all every now and then of the importance of these!

Still to do

Finish cleaning bathroom
Sort and put away mountain of clean laundry
1/2 hour Wii fit and shower/hair wash
Lunch watch Doctors
OU work till pick up time
School run
Thank you letters
Cub homework
Write invitations

Jing

Morning

Empty DW and refill with BF stuff
Clear drainer and shine sink
Swish and swipe bathroom
Odd bits of tidying
One load of washing on - put in dryer / on line after school run
Get dinner out of freezer if needed

Afternoon

Empty and check school book bags, sort letters, also sort mail
DCs empty their own lunchboxes

Evening

Get school uniforms/my clothes out for next day
Put away clean clothes
Check school bags, shoes present in hall, also any sports kit for the next day
Make sandwiches for packed lunches with tea
Make a to do list for the next day

Thank you Lplateflyer. Is there a way that I can highlight the OP?s posts so they don't get lost? Sorry, I'm a bit of a techno-dumbo.

Oh dear I don't seem to be doing very well. Perhaps I need the DCs to start school tomorrow. Anyway,
Ta da:
Work run
Tescos
Sainsbury delivery
Well nothing else really

To do:
put shopping away
get my & 2 DCs hair cut
vacuum
declutter living room
wash bedding & remake beds
tidy kitchen
clean sinks
perhaps a bit of de-cobwebbing

comradejing my daily routine is everyone up, washed dressed, s&s bathroom, tidy up toys at end of day, Hoover whole house (in a bungalow) and change hand towels in bathroom. I always wash up and shine sink, and clean counter tops in the day time a few times a day due to my job so I don't include this in my lists either

Productive morning here so far. Quick list dump before lunch:

Ta da:
Beds made
Ss
Dw rerun as hadn't finished cycle properly
Dcs up, fed and taken to school
Last christmas cards taken down
Living room, kitchen, bedrooms tidied
Weeks meal planning done
Food shopping done

To do:
Put shopping away
Home bleurgh
Ironing
Prepare dinner
Collect dcs from school and take to dentist
Wash dogs bowls
Mission
Declutter junk drawer
Interview prep
Evening routines
Laundry folded and put away
Dw unloaded/reloaded

That looks like loads - I'd best get started!!

I'm not a teacher, I do volunteer at DS1's school when i can I was an editorial assistant in my former life.

Ta da:
Morning routine
Swish and swipe
Take old computer chair and other gubbins to tip
Buy toy storage
Build toy storage
Washing

To do:
Take old clothes to charity bins
Sort stair basket
Clean washing away
Prep dinner
Dust sitting room
Hoover sitting room
Mission
Evening routine
Fit the children in somewhere...