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!!

Well I am just settling down for the night, have only just finished my assignment that is due in tomorrow, I am due in earlier than usual tomorrow so have to be out the door by 6.45am, then I have an exam on Wednesday and another essay due in on Friday!

So you can see why I want to just take the baby steps one at a time and not leap too far ahead of myself!

Morning all. Up very early this morning as I cba to do my lesson planning last night and fell asleep at 8pm. So up at half 5 this morning to get it done.

We have a bit of snow on the ground this morning but in bitchy's terminology are due a huge 'dump' of snow later on. Am
going to spend my morning blowing it her way.

Have a good day everyone. Better go and do this morning routine I told everybody I have.

Just a little dusting of snow for us too. It was so nice getting up to a clean, tidy, decluttered downstairs.
Ta da:
made packed lunches
cleaned up snow boots
found hats and gloves and scarves
forced children unsuccessfully to eat porridge
washing on
dishwasher emptied

To do:
make sure living room stays tidy and vacuumed
clean bathrooms
shine sink

Morning all

A few cats misbehaving on here I see!!

Thanks Silvery and everyone - was kidding (just a little bit ) about morning routine - I'm a natural owl - not a lark - so have to be a wee bit strict with myself! Would find it very hard getting up at 5.30 am though like BakerofCakes does for example. Barely human until 11.00 am

Lilleth and everyone else - Flylady site seems to have sorted out it's mission glitch here thankfully!

Have a good day Ellie!

Slow and steady is the way to go DrRanj Good luck with exams/study this week.

Toffee funny that, my dh, 6ft 3 + and built like a house, strangely does not have the strength to open the laundry basket lid either ...

Hmmmm...[dons pince nez]... there's no avoiding it I'm afraid.... sounds suspiciously like Flying to me too Castlelough ...

I find MFP quite laborious too - cook mostly from scratch (plus abroad so few ingreds match) so tended to go for nearest equivalent which ends up with me purportedly eating some very wierd and wonderful packaged stuff!! (Need to work out how to insert recipes!!)

Well done JoJane you have made a terrific start! Arf at your suspicious dh!!

Snowgirl yay for overcoming Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome!!!

Waves to Gossip and Bitchy and everyone else!

Art Acad day so won't be back on here until much later tonight. Have a productive start to the week everyone!

x posts

Flaps wings at Doublemum and anyone I've missed

Morning all! Back to it today with a huge list dump. I have a meeting with a potential new parent this evening too after work so its going to be a long day!

To do:
Home bleurgh
Wash bedding
Wash towels and bath mats
Bedroom hotspot
My laundry away
Routines
Walk dogs
DD and mindee to playgroup
School run
Bleach mould on ceiling again
Dog poo

BBL!

Morning all

Tada
Up, showered etc.
Made sandwiches
S&S - a first for me! Am I right in thinking flylady only 'expects' us to wipe basin, countertop and whizz the loo brush round the toilet? If so, I S&S. If you have to wipe down the bath and tiles, I failed.

To do when I get back from work:

Empty dishwasher
Put washing on
Put clean laundry away
Declutter in bathroom for 15 mins
Clean bathroom celing & light fixing (I can't even think what the bathroom fixing looks like - obviously been a lack of 'looking up' by me)
Possibly whizz round with vac - lounge, stairs and landing
Shine sink
Lay tomorrow's clothes out
Try to persuade DH to put box of Christmas decorations in the loft

BBL

About 2" of snow here, but no roads or schools closed or anything like that. Just extra fun trying to get the DCs into school, each class normally goes in it's own entrance but that means clearing miles of paths, so they all went in one door, with wellies, scarfs, hats, etc, etc, chaos.

I've just been into town and the pavements are really slippery, won't be good if it freezes tonight. Hey ho. Now, I have to decide, home blessing or go swimming, what should I do? Maybe a little HB then a swim. I am seriously unfit since my surgery in Sept.

just time for list today

tada
got up early
got boys to school dressed and fed
sat ds3 on radiator to defrost
made phone calls

todo
dishwasher
clothes away
strip a bed
online shop
general tidy
online shop to order
tidy up again what I have already tidied as ds3 has decided to empty a few boxes!
feed everyone
all the other stuff.......

Good morning!! Just a sprinkling of snow here today and thankfully it was clear that it was no where near deep enough to sledge to school!

done
empty dw
pancakes for brekkie
make beds (need to change ours later)

to do
wash floor
clean upstairs bathroom
find homes for Christmas presents
assemble thank you cards
read my book (new years resolution - read more, watch tv less)

Happy Monday people!

No snow here at all, in fact glorious sunshine!

So much for indolence yesterday, setting me up for today: Dh didn't crawl into bed until stupid o'clock. So I passive-aggressively made sure he was up with Dd & me

Also we have no hot water!

done
Beds
Windows
Wash load on
Dd to school
Bank
Grocers
Rang letting agent re water, should be fixed by this afternoon
Disinfected cat litter tray
Dry washing away

to do
Wash up
Dust
Vacuum
Mop
Mirrors
Bins
S&S
Mission
Dinner
Wash up & SS

Gossip - congratulations on passing your test!

Bitchy - I just can?t do early starts if I don?t have to. It?s just not in me. But I do agree, routine is best. Fortunately for me I have school run 5 days a week so I have to do (relatively) early starts every day. (Not as early as yours with your training though!). Most websites seem to insist on cookies lately. Really annoying me.

SC - Cancer is a bugger, isn?t it. My BIL died last week from cancer too.

Cuddled - glad the funeral went well.

Swan - serious allergy to paperwork here!!

Silvery - Congratulations on the job!

ep - congrats on the MIL ready house!

Last week started well and ended badly. Wednesday was a write off as I had to go into London, which meant that I was in pain and out of it on Thursday, and Friday I just limped through. I have a referral to the physio, and I start tomorrow so hopefully ankle will get better soon.

The house has actually improved though. DH put up the new curtains in the lounge and dining room, and I ironed them before they went up. It is starting to (finally) look nice here. The downstairs area is getting better, it?s all just taking so long.

I have a lot of non flying work to get through today, with very little motivation. Sigh.... but it MUST get done so I?d better get going.

Will try to break up computer jobs with a few 5 ? 15 minute room rescues though so the house doesn?t sink back into the abyss of mess.

Bit of snow remaining here but not a thick layer by any means.

Bum and double bum. Art acad not happening (someone off sick in office) Have missed so many recently think I will be thrown out if I don't appear soon.

Hope hot water sorted by any of day Goth it's definitely not the weather for cold showers ...

Whoknows stalwart of you to even consider swimming pool in this weather, never mind actual immersion (fractionally better prospect than housework though I guess! )

More info on swishing and swiping here Snowgirl (scroll down!)

Good luck with your lists Jdub Loris and Lauren and everyone else.

Had better get typing [sigh] [Places ginger nut pkt out of reach]

So sorry to hear about your bil Lplate I hope your sister is OK.

And 'good on you' re: house improvements - can't be easy with painful ankle.

"Will try to break up computer jobs with a few 5 ? 15 minute room rescues"
Good idea - will do likewise (might as well profit from being stuck at home)!

mean 'end of day' Goth not 'any'

really need to get on with cleaning... I wander if I get motivated to do it dp might help... hmmmmmmmm

Bizarrely my dh now seems to want to hijack the washing from me - it does pay off eventually - I can't believe it has had such a positive effect without me actually having to ask him to do stuff. To his credit, he is very pro-active round the house, so maybe it was just me being a slob, and now I'm making the effort more, I'm more aware of everyone else pitching in! Either way, long may it continue!

Aughhh, someone give me a boot up the bum please. Trying to get my head around the 'cloud' and sorting it out for our new business and I am soooo not motivated!!! Sob.....

, there you go Lplate. Sorry to hear about your BIL.

Ta-da!

Cleared snow from car and drive and patio (neither are very big). It is starting to turn to rain now anyway)
2nd load of washing on
General tidy round upstair and down
Run vac round upstairs and down
Mop kitchen floor
Off for a swim shortly.

Good morning!

Not got a huge amount done as seem to be functioning on a go slow today.

The original to do list:
rescue my room
laundry -2nd load on
put clean and folded/ironed clothes away
put christmas decorations into the loft
job applications
thank you cards just need to address envelopes
ds' homework
and a very much needed early night!

also done
declutter and sort through the card drawer
have coffee and a catch up with a friend
let my mother put the world to rights
Hang my bedroom door

I think another coffee is going to be needed with lunch.

Goth also hoping the heating can get sorted today for you.
Ellie Luffs ya. snooooooooooooooooow

Lunchtime list

done
Beds
Windows
Wash load on
Dd to school
Bank
Grocers
Rang letting agent re water
Disinfected cat litter tray
Dry washing away
Dust
Vacuum
Mirrors
Bins
S&S
Mission

to do
Dinner
Wash up & SS

Handyman just spotted! So fingers crossed re water, I do not do cold showers, I'll smell instead

I have just realised that I need to sort ds' birthday stuff out I have about 2 weeks to do it too. Nothing like leaving it until last minute! We do birthday breakfast and then a themed cake... I am stumped as to the cake though!

Today is not a good flying day for me. Im in a CBA mood again. Dont know why, but I just want to sit here and do FA.

Anyway

tada

• turn on washing machine
• Dry Laundry
• Go to courses
• Try to find out what the real mission is (I got confused earlier too SC) Its looking up in the bathroom, but until we get a feather duster Im not doing it. Although I may have a look at the light later.

to do

• Put Laundry away
• Wash Up 2X
• Shine Sink
• Hotspot 2X
• 15 min declutter
• Fill Washing Machine for Tues

Just been looking at feather dusters on ebay and I have got a bid in for one, it runs out in 14 mins. So I will be able to look up

My course has been cancelled tonight due to the weather, but I have got no idea why as the roads are all fine. Oh well I shan't complain.

BBL

Bitchy mad scientist theme??

mad scientist brain cake

here

no cake but looks fun!

and... possibly could adapt toothpick and marshmallow idea .. choc profiteroles and straws/choc-covered pretzel stick thingies (can't remember brand name)??