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!!

Great news on the contract SilveryMoon. My DH started a 12 month contract in November so we will be hoping the same thing happens.
Toffee can't have , have given it up in January! It's OK, it will all seem better after a good sleep. (PS, I cried buckets watching The Hunger Games at the cinema)

Oops, nearly forgot to update

done
Morning routines
Wash load on
Washing put away (should have done it last night)
5 min tidy up in lounge
Wash up x 2
Wash kitchen floor
Cat litter tray then wash bathroom floor
Post Office
Collect Dd
Dinner, wash up, shine sink
Lots of knitting

Great news about the job Silvery, shame about the car.

Toffee - we finally watched the 1st Borgen episode. It was good, wasn't it?! Can only cope with 1 hour a night though so will be way behind again after the w/e.

The computer repair shop rang and apparently its the hard drive that died, so will be PC-less till Monday at least. Can work with the laptop and a few email rerouting thingies but it's frustrating.

Need to get off the machine now and go to bed. Night all.

Evening all (actually it's "morning"!)

Sorry to be catching up so late. Pig of a day rushing from pillar to post. And have just returned from extremely turgid charity concert that was about an hour too long (office sponsorship connection so no getting out of it!) Had to fight to keep awake!!

Thanks again for kind words re: my cousin and mil. Mil has rallied a bit and dh will be flying out to visit for weekend.

Bit quieter on here... looks like it has been a tough day for many.

Blue funny you should mention it, as one of my sister's has left me a voicemail message to check out the EU episode of Borgen - so have recorded it. Hope you can resolve your technological difficulties soon. Mincemeat tart sounds fab btw.

A solid list there Goth 10 out of 10!

Doublemum Arf at living in sink. (One way of preventing the dishes piling up anyway ) Good luck with your mammoth 'Fly Saturday' and sorry about your dd's multiple visits to dentists - sounds painful!

Cuddledup Ooooh that's a difficult one. I did exactly that because I couldn't stand the tedium and the job evolved in to something different (well, I still do 9 to 16 or so hours a week but doesn't really count). I found the actual balance of working three days, two days off, to be perfect (the actual work cripplingly boring though). I think it's good to keep something "ticking over" while dc are young though (especially if you are looking to go back in to more f/t work when they are older). But personally, I find housework crippingly boring too. I guess it depends what other things you could do with your time/plus whether you like to have a bit of financial independence. Also, how you will feel when dc grow up and are not so dependent on you and you transition from being primarily "mum" to someone back in your own right as it were? (I know once mum = always "mum" but hope you know what I mean!) Good luck with the decision!

Snap Toffee I never like to miss anyone out either!! and I was just apologising because without knowing it I had inadvertently repeated virtually everything you said!! Respect to you for tackling maths at home!! It certainly is a constant battle as you say - feel as though I am swimming through treacle currently. I'm sure we'll get our motivation back at some point if we down enough gin

[Takes a swig, wipes top with sleeve, passes gin bottle to Wewereherefirst with instructions to forward to bitchy - (vicarious alcohol is permitted!!)]

[Snaffles remains of Jdbub's cake]

Congratulations on your permanent contract Silvery (and your fab list). Hope car palaver resolved speedily! Oh and noted about stray item dash btw - need to put whole swathes of items back here - will adopt immediately!

Lilleth arf at tumbleweed!! Sorry your post was left hanging. (Was out most of the day!) Great that your course is mentally stimulating - I think we all need that. Hope you can nip cold in bud. Fresh pineapple or pineapple juice is good.

Huge sympathies MrsPennyapple and Whoknows regarding the difficulties of trying to diet with one's other half. Sounds as though Hairy Bs diet book might be helpful to you both. Apologies for not being able to offer further suggestions as I'm battling same prob. It's a total nightmare in my experience- my dh is big foodie (and of course we are living in the land of the foodie which doesn't help). I find dieting SO easy when he is away. I wouldn't buy all the stuff he does for a start. On the few occasions we have managed a joint effort, he has undermined it by ordering takeaways at the office. I know this sounds like yet another excuse but my dh lives to eat ...a ridiculous amount of our time is spent shopping for food, cooking food, clearing up after cooking, entertaining and sharing food .... Sometimes I just want it to stop!! I'm dithering now about whether current weight loss challenge should involve him or not. What do others think? Is it better to toughen up and plough your own furrow as it were?

Thanks and glad the summaries are helpful Snowgirl. From the look of your lists, you have made a brilliant start!

Feathery wing flaps to Lauren (and huge thanks for kind offer of thread support - OK while mil still hanging on - but will let you know)

Am loving all the pie talk Feetheart and arf at missing out Fly-related things which happens here a lot. Funny that isn't it !!

Waves to everyone I have missed!!

SC fingers crossed re MIL, am so impressed at you keeping on top of this thread with everything going on. Now go to bed

cuddled i would say probably not because if you ever have to get back into work taking time off for the family actually looks really crap on the cv with the majority continuing to work, and makes it much harder emotionally to get back into work. Also having an independent pension that is building up is a major plus in the day and age when the majority of pensions are pretty much insufficent to maintain a house with food and heat. Better unforfilled now than struggling completely later on imo. But then my view is tainted because I did what you are considering and need now to return to the workforce and am finding it impossible. My skills and qualifications are too out of date.

Oh yes, the links ...

Again, sorry to be so late (yet again) especially to those of you who like to look at the day's step in advance ...

*

Baby-step no.12 for Sat 12th Jan is here here and involves deleting e-mails from Flylady (which hopefully you won't have received because you won't have signed up to Big Tent) Flylady also reminds us to go steady with the steps that we are already doing and not to overdo it and crash and burn.

No zones or missions because it is the weekend, although have a look at today's flight plan if you are using the weekend to catch up

Saturday is family fun day

Forgot to post reminders yesterday (which I usually do on a Friday). Worth having a look sometimes here

Have a good weekend everyone!

x posts

[Waves to Bitchy wise words there]

Thanks Goth I'm off right now and will resist my latest Donna Leon I promise

Hope you both have a good night's sleep too!!

Still evening here and I've just got home from work. And relaaaaaax.

Have extra child here this evening, but am looking forward to doing nothing. Tis a big one (dd1's friend) so they look after themselves, we just feed. In fact, sometimes they even bake, so it's good times all round.

Dh worked from home today, so he's even got their dinner in the oven.

It is -21 outside though, so I have big plans for an extra blanket and possibly even the fire on...

No ta da's today, but I have a few to-do's planned for tomorrow:

Plastic banishment from the crockery cupboard
Organise (and declutter if possible) Tupperware cupboard
Complete and submit application form for running international trip
Send 'how to plan a camp' email to new guider, inc example attachments of forms
Get ready for Chinese feast

Thanks everyone.
sc yes, re the stray items, it literally takes a few minutes to do the whole flat, apart from the boys bedroom as they can't yet keep their things organised into set boxes and I don't want to impose it too much on them, so I ask them to tidy up and then just go in and check that everything is off the floor. The rest of the place it's just about putting the hairbrush back on the shelf if I've left it on the sink in the morning and hanging up coats where the dc's fling them on the sofa, hanging up the t towel, silly little things like that. If I'm doing that daily, a room rescue seems a bit pointless.
cuddled I completely agree with Bitchy re the job. I know it must be soul destroying to be in a job where you feel unfulfilled, but bitchy is right, we need to be thinking ahead and making sure we are protected and secure in our later years.
The weekend is when I do the weeks food shop and the main housework.
Food shop today and housework split, a bit today and a bit tomorrow.
I'm not managing to keep up with my ironing, or meal planning during the week. I tend to flick through recipes and write lists just before heading to shop, but suppose that's ok.
Have hardly seen my boys this week, so my routines def need to be tweaked somewhere but hoping that knocking the room rescue on the head and changing the 15 mins to 10 mins might help a bit.
Am also babysitting later and overnight. The joys.
Have a good day all.

Ta Da
Up and Make beds
Feed cats
get breakfast
laundry

To Do
Shower and dress
Swish and swipe
Clean litter trays
Take out rubbish
Menu plan and write shopping list
Food shop
Polish and dust
Glass shelves, tv, mirrors etc
Hoover
Mop
Cook dinner
Stray items
Ironing
Clean kitchen
shine sink

They've said it might snow today haven't they? Looks cold and I'm a bit skint now so not sure what to do with the boys today.

Just looked in the mirror and need to add plucking eyebrows onto my to do list I hate doing that. takes ages (because I leave it so long)

Have just skimmed the thread, not read it all properly, but wanted to say to Cuddled - think very hard about your future before giving up that job. Family friendly ones are not easy to come by, especially if you have not worked for a while. Maintaining a smidge of financial independence/pension is a very good reason to keep working, not to mention the longer term relative ease of stepping your career back up when the DCs are older. I took voluntary redundance from a very stressful "proper career" job when my DCs were 3 and 5 but only because the stress was making me ill and there was a very good package attached. I had a lovely year at home then after youngest started school I was offered a similar but less stressful p/t job locally and ummed and aahed because I was enjoying being at home, I did take it though. Although it is quite boring and not terribly fulfilling at times I am really glad I took it, jobs like this are as rare as hen's teeth and I am sure I would have regretted it if I hadn't taken it. My DCs are nearly 9 and 7 now, nearly all my mum friends work at least part time, I am pretty sure I would have been bored of being at home by now if I hadn't taken the job. Of those friends that don't work at all there are a couple that are really comfortable with being a long term SAHM but also one or two that are quite depressed at the fact that it is impossible to find suitable work.

Hi everyone.

Just to be clear, I'm not dieting - just DP. Well, to be strictly accurate, he's not dieting either, but he's the one who wants to lose weight. I'd have cake for every meal given the choice, pg or not! But I do want to find really nice meals that I can cook for him to support him. I do agree that he needs to lose the weight, but I haven't said so. It is hard to know how to encourage and support someone without making them feel like you're trying to push them, or that YOU think they should lose weight.

Silvery Get 'em waxed. Takes five seconds and actually doesn't hurt as much as you'd think. Or threaded, never tried that myself but I've heard it gives a very nice look.

So going to hit the ground running after ds decided to wake me up by screaming at me!

ta da
get yelled at by ds
strip beds.
1st load of bedding in machine (three lots of wet from last night plus mine to do)
take my bed apart
rescue ds birthday present out of loft where it is stopping christmas presents going away.
store present in my bed (storage space in middle)
rebuild my bed
get ds dressed and fed
give ds very firm clear expectations for today
make shopping list

And that is the start tones to do and i am in a vile mood. I don't like being shouted at before i am awake.

AAAAAAGGHGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH I have just wrote a huge long paragraph and accidently (sp?) highlighted it all and deleted it. That's the huge downside to being a quick typer. My fingers go faster than my brain.

Anyway hope we are all having a good day today.

tada

• turn washer on
• dry laundry
• Go to Parkrun and try to run 5K under 35 mins

to do

• put laundry away
• wash up 2X
• Shine Sink
• Hotspot
• 5 Min room rescue
• jigsaw with DD1
• Help DS do his homework
• 15 min declutter

Silvery great news on the job. Regarding your car. I would assume (going by experience here and please dont take my word for it as I am not a mechanic nor have asked one) that it is a temp fault that is fixed by the engine turning off and on again. It will probably come back on again unfortunately. We have a light that sometimes comes on in my car, but I noticed that when it did the traction control would turn off and a second warning light would come on telling me there was a problem with it so now I turn the traction control off and so far no warning light has come on in 18 months.

Bitchy I am trying to get back into work after taking time out. I was made redundant a few years ago so decided to spend some time with my family. (I had a good redundancy package plus savings to see us through for a bit). I had a few interviews, but always had the same feedback. I was good in the interview and impressed, but there was always someone else who had more recent experience or was better qualified. That's what made me decide to do some courses. I went to a job fair and got talking to a lady at the council about adult education. Im hoping that it will make me more employable, but will see.

Listen to your instinct cuddled they will help you make the right decision for you, but others are right, there might be a time when you have to look for work again. Its not that easy (well at least Im not finding it easy)

Well I think Ive remembered everything I deleted.

Hope everyone has a good day, will be back later with a further round up

Lilleth if you do that again ctrl + z should undo it if you are on a pc.

Lillith I hate that, not that I've the excuse of being a quick typer, more that I'm not in control of m fingers.

Cuddled I'm now looking for work after taking redundancy from a boring job, on the plus side, it enabled us to move, so I would be looking for work anyway IYSWIM but even part time work is hard to get at the minute. There are just so many people looking for work right now, and I'm over qualified for a lot of the basics. I'd be quite happy for something manual, but you don't get a look in as the employers think you'll be off again.

On the plus side, I do get lots of time with Dd, get to make all our meals from scratch, and the flat is relatively clean & tidy.

Go with how you feel, I wouldn't recommend what I've done, but I don't regret it. Money is tight, and I have no idea for the future, but to be honest I've not been this happy for a long time.

Anyway
Done
Bedrooms tidy,
Windows scraped
Washing on
Lunch in oven.

To do
Library
Wrap present -Dd going to a party tomorrow
Dinner
Wash up, shine sink
Knitting ( got to pull down some of yesterday's work) knitting & wine does not mix!

Afternoon everyone. Hope you are all OK.

Brass monkey weather here.

Ta da:
packed dh off to airport
ironed ballet clothes
ballet bun
special ballet run (dd has bruised her Achilles tentacle apparently )
eyebrows threaded
supermarket
bakery
chickens from volaillerie
special run to get "gourmet" hay that the rabbits particularly like
buy flowers for mum hosting playdate
iron more clothes
polish dd boots
supervise dd bath/dressing/hair plaiting etc
lunch
drop dd off at friend's house

So stressed and cluttered yesterday that I cancelled the cleaner again which I admit is ridiculous (and expensive) behaviour. (Dh is understandably not impressed!)

So now I have precisely 3 hrs in which to:
do a crisis clean
involving: yet more tidying of kitchen, dw, sink area, surfaces etc
picking up worst of stuff in sitting and dining room
tidying playroom
cleaning downstairs sink and loo
hoovering downstairs
having a bath
organising hall
finally removing packed Christmas decorations to roof!!

Note to self: tomorrow I must focus on sorting laundry room, washing, ironing (ironing lady extended her holiday away).

And ... drum roll....I actually have a tiny bit of motivation for once ...don't know what it is but I love having the house to myself!! Going to try and make the most of it!!

Ah Madwoman well I had better adjust my description of the weather given that it is only -2 here which is positively warm by your standards at -21!! Enjoy your Chinese feast tonight!

Silvery your regular tidying bouts sound like a fantastic idea (especially if you do have a place for most things - which is half the battle imo. (A lot of the stuff that floats around my house doesn't have a proper home.) Hope you enjoy your time with yr boys today and find something interesting to do ...construct a den inside from sheets/duvets etc??? Good luck with list too.

And good luck with your list today Lilleth I'm sure your study/job-finding strategy will prove successful.

Cuddledup Agree with everything that Whoknows Bitchy
and Lilleth say about jobs that fit around dc being as rare as hen's teeth and difficult to find again once given up.

Sorry MrsPennyapple got the wrong end of the stick - thought both of you were dieting. Imo you can't really get someone to diet unless they want to do it for themselves (believe me I have tried) but really good of you to take on supporting role. Good luck!

Good luck with your list Bitchy and hope your day gets better!

Goth >"to be honest I've not been this happy for a long time" that's brilliant to hear and dc grow up so fast, it's lovely to be able to focus on them and to go at their pace, which of course is the other side of the coin. It just shows that there is no right answer and every indiv has to balance the issues and make the choice that is right for them.

Had better get on ...enjoy your Saturdays everyone!!

Sc I am a very structured person, so most things have a place.
Good luck with the crisis clean.
Last time I built a fort with the ds's, I got told off by dp just as much as them. Apparently it's not ok to take the cushions etc off the sofa and duvets are for bedrooms.
I find all that kind of thing quite difficult. I am quite a structured person who needs rules so I've always struggled with pointless free play. I never do role play or anything like that with them, or random building. I'd have no idea how to 'play' but yet I spend all my time at work 'playing'

Oh god no, I'd never try to "put" him on a diet. I asked him if he was making any NY resolutions and he said to lose weight.

bitchy now you mention it, I actually knew that, just have never used it so didn't think about it. I use Ctrl+C and ctrl+V all the time and know that ctrl and other letters do other things. Thats even more annoying that I knew that as well. Thanks for the tip.

BBL properly.

Ta Da
Up and Make beds
Feed cats
get breakfast
laundry
Shower and dress
Swish and swipe
Clean litter trays
Take out rubbish
Menu plan and write shopping list
Food shop

To Do
Polish and dust
Glass shelves, tv, mirrors etc
Hoover
Mop
Cook dinner
Stray items
Ironing
Clean kitchen
shine sink
bring in shoes and rack from lobby
hoover lobby (after communal areas were painteds yesterday)

Oh dear, my Mammoth Fly Day doesn't seem to be going very well.
Ta da:
Pick up car from repairer at last (car went into the back of us before xmas)
Visit Sainsburys for supplies
Healthy lunch
2 loads of washing
Take DS to karate
General surf and slobbiness

To do:
Room rescue (extreme rescue)
Clean downstairs loo
Sweep and mop kitchen diner
Tidy living room
Make pud for tomorrow
Clean bathrooms
Force children to tidy rooms

ta da
get yelled at by ds
strip beds.
1st load of bedding in machine (three lots of wet from last night plus mine to do)
take my bed apart
rescue ds birthday present out of loft where it is stopping christmas presents going away.
store present in my bed (storage space in middle)
rebuild my bed
get ds dressed and fed
give ds very firm clear expectations for today
make shopping list
take ds to tesco to pick up the few bits needed
insist ds came window shopping in two other shops (took about 15mins so not a major diversion)
fall out with ds over what constitutes an instruction
another load of bedding in the wash
sort through the magazine rack
sort through most of my kit bag although gave up half way through
Move laundry from dinning table to the rooms for putting away

About to have a long talk with ds

Silvery Think that's where I must be going wrong, there are dens made of sheets/packingboxes/Playmobil 'structures' that musn't be touched all over this house that I hoover around ...

Sorry, wrong stick again Mrspennyapple!! It is a very difficult one. I don't know how to help my dh either (and, unlike you, I need to diet to so anything I say will not have much credibility !)

You can do it Doublemum!

Waves to Lilleth

Setting the timer for another 15 mins ...