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!!

[SilveryMoon]

cuddle I don't have a dishwasher, so any dishes that are 'left over' in the evening go in a storage box in the cupboard under the sink. This is also where things go during the day so I don't have a pile up of dirty dishes. The children put their plates,cups etc in here when they clear up too.

[DoubleMum]

May I join you? I have attempted Flylady before but reading the emails made me lose the will to live so I stopped.
I will definitely be baby-stepping and already did some massive and long overdue clearouts in the last part of 2012, but it's a constant battle isn't it?!

[wewereherefirst]

Hi can I join in? I inadvertently started cleaning the understairs hellhole space. I'm a mega procrastinator and liked the flylady idea but I really can't stand the way its written!

[superfluouscurves]

Catch up part two:

Blimey Bitchy you have started the new year with a bang as ever!! Good luck with the humungous list. Great your ds had such a brilliant time yesterday!

Justgettingonwithit (Notes 'I love you really' tip for when dd becomes teenager)

Gossip good luck with swap decluttering prep. How did the hall clearing go?

Nicknacks I'm always impressed by speedy unpacking (speaking as someone who itripping over half full suitcases on the landing 3 months after returning home!!)

Bitchy¨well done for getting ds out of the house which is no mean feat... dd is sometimes very resistant to getting up and off and out and I find goading her in to action absolutely exhausting so have some very small, minute inkling of how tough it must be for you. You did better than me today - dd spent most of it in her pjs - and weather was lovely and sunny outside so I feel guilty for not getting her outside.

Brilliant going I'mabadmum (don't like writing that!! cos I'm sure you're not!!) Small steps and all that ...

Good Flying start to the year for you too Arses

A very warm welcome to LoveinIdlesness and Lilleththecat

Loveinidleness yes, just start with baby-steps which are posted here every day concurrent with date, and once those have become second nature, you can start decluttering 15 mins a day in current zone and/or doing missions. Best just to get to grips with baby-steps first though. I know what you mean about motivating oneself to get off the sofa (especially late at night). The only solution I have found that works is not to allow myself to sit down until all the chores are done. Once I sit down, I've had it!!

Lillethecat that sounds plenty to start with. There are quite a few 'revision' or 'do what we have done up to now' type of baby-steps early on which allows for a catch up if you need it. As Silvery says though, the whole Flylady system is based on the fact that you are never really behind because you can just jump in where we are at! Little and often is the mantra - only do 15 mins of decluttering in current zone to start so if you can't get shoe cupboard done in that time then don't start it, it will come around again ifyswim. Oh and banish all thoughts of perfectionism! Good enough is good enough etc etc

Hope return to work goes well tomorrow Nicknacks

Huge waves to Bakerofcakes Silvery and to anyone I've missed.

Back later with tomorrow's links...

[superfluouscurves]

x posts

Cuddledup I'm in exactly that same position tonight having cooked for seven and I should be unstacking and stacking dishwasher again (having shined the sink already once today) and leaving everything clear for the morning. As we're still on holiday tomorrow though, and don't have any deadlines tomorrow, I probably will start again in the morning. On an ordinary weekday 'work'/school night I would do it though. Honest! Tbh I think regularity/consistency and "little and often" overall is more important than specifics though if that makes sense. Well done for completing your list btw!

Hope they prove useful Silvery

A warm welcome to Doublemum and Wewereherefirst Yes, the Flylady site (barftastic language and all) can be off-putting and seem overly complicated. Little and often is the way to go. Good luck!

[KatyJ26]

Felt very virtuous for cleaning my sink in preparation for the shining stage as per Flylady website, it is now being soaked in bleach - then I read bitchys ta da list

I did spend some time this morning looking at the flylady website, as last time I didn't know what all the terminology meant, so this time I have printed out stuff I didn't know [loser emoticon!] I am also trying to explain it to my husband (who in fairness is very good about doing housework). He thinks I have lost the plot, but is humouring me and helping me for the time being!

I go back to work at the end of this month and whilst the house is not that bad, I want to feel completely on top of it and know I can manage it. Spent quite a lot of today trying to get the kids new toys into their bedrooms ? feel much better just knowing I am trying to be a domestic goddess even if I?m not quite cutting the mustard

[superfluouscurves]

Baby-step no. 2 for 2nd January is the controversial one getting dressed to shoes Personally, I find it works for me (am always dashing in and out of garden and stops me from curling up on sofa and going to sleep too!) but I know others find slippers more than sufficient!

Here is the reasoning behind the theory if you are interested essay here!!


We are continuing in Zone 1 until the end of the week: The Entrance, Front Porch and Dining Room here

Try and declutter for 15 mins in the current zone per day.

If your Zone 1 is already decluttered, you can progress to detailed cleaning

Tomorrow's mission is here 15 mins decluttering entrance hall.

Wednesday is anti-procrastination day here Do something you have been putting off!

The habit for January is (if it's the same as the previous two years) shining your sink more info here

And if I've missed anything or you want a quick reference to tomorrow's tasks, have a look at tomorrow's flight plan here which should update daily.

Have a good one! And gently does it: it's very tempting for beginners to do too much at the beginning and burn out. Small step by small step is the way to go!

[droitwichmummy]

Yes tis me sc (love the latest name!)
My mission for today was to do the washing - done
Find the sink - failed!
Tomorrow - shine the found sink....
Knit - have a angel blanket to start (might start it in bed in a few mins )

[droitwichmummy]

Oh - I'm going to add the daily mission to DH's list of jobs each day as I am not over-impressed by his SAHD efforts thus far!

[TrazzleMISTLEtoes]

MY SINK IS SHINY!!!!!

At least I'll have managed 1 babystep this year!

I second what sc said about burning out. Although she is posting daily missions, actually doing one isnt until babystep 15 or something. The most important thing at the start is the babysteps and they add all the rest of the Flylady ethos in.

Am I alone in quite loving her? I honestly quite enjoy the email roundup, it makes me feel all motivated.

I'm at work tomorrow, so still have a couple of jobs to do tonight so that I'm prepared in the morning, but at least the sink is shiny...

[superfluouscurves]

x post KatyJ26 don't be put off by long lists - we are all at different stages of Flying - and Bitchy's lists are notoriously scary detailed!!

[superfluouscurves]

xposts

Great to have you back MummyD Good idea about adding mission to your dh's task list. Tbh the thought of my dh become responsible for domestic chores fills me with horror (not that I am really in a position to criticise atm tbh with the house being such a pit!) He would need firm guidance (to put it mildly)! Hope it works out for you both!

Wise words from Trazzles [and I can see her sink shining from here ]

I'm off to rejoin my guests and try not to eat chocolate, or Christmas cake, or cheese or anything else for that matter. [Grabs patchwork and starts sewing madly!)

See you all tomorrow!

[DoubleMum]

OK am with you all in spirit on my first day, but am in lots of pain (long story) so am sitting it out tonight and going to bed with dishwasher not emptied/refilled and sink not shiny. Will treat tomorrow as my first day and hope I feel better.
As my anit-procrastination task tomorrow I'm going to clean the letterbox which has had sticky tape residue on it for about a year.

[BitchyDragons]

Ah yes forgot to prefix for the newbies ignore my lists I have a few attention span issues and am either flying around like a crazy person sometimes assisted by coffee or struggling to keep up to date with the most basic of tasks. There seems to be little in the way of achieving a mid point and I keep my life scarily busy. Sitting down is a skill i struggle with actually stood up at the computer to type this.

Otoh tomo sees a troup of visitors and the house is still a bit of a bomb site from the decorating. Also with normal crazy busy life kicking off on the 7th of Jan with a busier then normal schedule, i would like to be on top of a certain amount before then. Also will be continuing to tidyup for another hour or two yet as partook in a bit of late afternoon coffee drinking that I am beginning to regret. Only way to combat the caffine is to work it out of the system. i am also notoriously bad at the early to bed babystep too You have been warned!!!!!

ta da
15mins in the hall
gather all recycling for going out
gather remenants of last nights party into kitchen/throw out party popper bits
try not to shout at ds
continue taking down the christmas decorations - 15mins done
not kill ds despite him having attack the jule log before i got up and being on a sugar induce madness spree
encourage child to eat lunch.
empty and move book case
3rd load washing on.
battle of wills with child
sand door frame
ring various family members for happy new year messages
Get car half emptied of rubbish
Get recycling out
get child into and eventually out of a hot bath
nail backs on book cases waiting for fixing
run computer virus check
Measure ds for a new coat. bloody weed for a child
Look up some A'level syallabuses on the internet, get scared by the maths one and hide in the chemistry one.
sort out arrangements for friday
disinfect ds' bin yuck
make mistake of opening eyes and actually seeing the state the bathroom is in.
room rescue the bathroom
Sand door
Cut and glue wood for fixing bookcases - need to get a few screws to finish job off so will have to wait until tomo before I can claim bookcases fixed.
Load and run dw
Paint door and door frame.
Be declare the best by ds - not entirely certain how i earnt this status today
Fold all clean washing created today
put ds' washing away
rescue my books from ds' room
do one load of not dw suitable items
cook some hard boiled eggs in prep for egg mayo for salad tomo
Manuver my washing into room without hitting wet paint on door frame and put away
Iron the ironing pile created today.
wash up the pots
make banana cake loaves.
Sort plans for tomo
watch the ice hockey match on the tv
Retape stick and sort ds' kits out for various activities
Lay out ds' clothes for tomo

[ToffeeWhirl]

For the first time in eight days, we have a guest-free house tonight (apart from the visiting dog, who goes home tomorrow). It feels very quiet. One of our New Year's Resolutions is to get the boys to bed earlier, which we achieved tonight, much to their annoyance. Am hoping we all get a good, long sleep tonight and have lots of energy for taking down and packing the decorations tomorrow.

Am planning on lots of decluttering in the New Year, plus trying to stick to the Flylady routines again. Am also starting Pilates next week and have paid for a course, so I will have to go.

Welcome to all the newbies. Waves to all the regulars.

Night night.

[BlueEyeshadow]

Happy new year! Waves now from my parents' house! Plan of travelling on New Year's Day worked a treat - everyone else too hungover busy to be on the roads and we sailed through all the usual bottlenecks.

Will catch up properly tomorrow...

[swanthingafteranother]

not done
no sink
no routines
no decluttering
no s & s

done
delicious lunch (squash risotto with fried chicken, brocoli)
long walk in park
found a friend for ds1
took dd to cinema to see Pitch Perfect (tis good) but she is 10/11
walked back from cinema, a looong walk, so more exercise
stayed on the Perrier! and away from sweet things but I did have a few chips at the cinema...

[BitchyDragons]

ta da
15mins in the hall
gather all recycling for going out
gather remenants of last nights party into kitchen/throw out party popper bits
try not to shout at ds
continue taking down the christmas decorations - 15mins done
not kill ds despite him having attack the jule log before i got up and being on a sugar induce madness spree
encourage child to eat lunch.
empty and move book case
3rd load washing on.
battle of wills with child
sand door frame
ring various family members for happy new year messages
Get car half emptied of rubbish
Get recycling out
get child into and eventually out of a hot bath
nail backs on book cases waiting for fixing
run computer virus check
Measure ds for a new coat. bloody weed for a child
Look up some A'level syallabuses on the internet, get scared by the maths one and hide in the chemistry one.
sort out arrangements for friday
disinfect ds' bin yuck
make mistake of opening eyes and actually seeing the state the bathroom is in.
room rescue the bathroom
Sand door
Cut and glue wood for fixing bookcases - need to get a few screws to finish job off so will have to wait until tomo before I can claim bookcases fixed.
Load and run dw
Paint door and door frame.
Be declare the best by ds - not entirely certain how i earnt this status today
Fold all clean washing created today
put ds' washing away
rescue my books from ds' room
do one load of not dw suitable items
cook some hard boiled eggs in prep for egg mayo for salad tomo
Manuver my washing into room without hitting wet paint on door frame and put away
Iron the ironing pile created today.
wash up the pots
make banana cake loaves.
Sort plans for tomo
watch the ice hockey match on the tv
Retape stick and sort ds' kits out for various activities
Lay out ds' clothes for tomo
Unload, reload dw and run again
Set the alarms for tomo.
take down the christmas tree.
deal with various injuries that need treating

Give up and decide that bed before midnight is a good plan!


Night.

[BitchyDragons]

You'd hope with a list like that I would have managed the babystep.

[feetheart]

Haven't caught up but hello to Fledglings one and all.

My sink is shiny..........long may it continue.
Admittedly it has been shined, everything put away, surfaces cleared etc as we are off to my parents at the crack of dawn tomorrow leaving the cats confined to the kitchen. They do have access to outside and a friend coming in twice a day to feed them but they will be bored and I want to give them as little temptation as possible. It looks lovely too, something to aspire to when we return maybe

I will try and keep up from afar but we may be out a lot as my rather OCD stepfather will be twitching at the 'mess' within 24-48hrs. We have a hire car and a lot of geo-caching to do :)

I will return to the Flying fold on 7th, don't all burn out before I come back and get to know you. That is obviously aimed at the very keen newbies, I trust the rest of you to keep up the appropriate level of chat vs Flying :)

[dizzyday07]

Blimey you lot. Just nearly the end of Day 1 and we are on Page 4 of the thread already!

We were away last night at my sisters. Pretty quiet evening, chinese ordered for tea, guessing game undertaken designed by DD, a few drinks (I even had a glass of bubbly - but it was horrid), watched John Bishop after the fireworks and then bed @ 1.30am

We all went out for a walk mid morning and I then washed the pots after sis made lunch. Home late evening but i put a load of washing in which is now hanging to dry.

DH back to work in the morning (shirts already ironed) and I've booked tickets for DD and I to go to the cinema. We need to go shopping afterwards as the cupboards are bare, and if she feels brave enough will take her to a trial at the swimming club in the afternoon.

My resolutions include trying to be a better housewife, losing weight, getting fit and doing more sewing

[GossipWitch]

Hallway didn't happen dp went out as I was loading the dishwasher, ill do it tomorrow. Have done my resolutions, and the move is now very unlikely to happen, as she posted on house-swap on facebook, which means that now there are 20 people who want to swap with her in my town and there is bound to be a house she likes better than mine, I have even tried appealing to her soft side and explained that I need the extra room for ds1 (ADHD poss asd) in a pm to her but I dont think it will work, I think I may have to get my wand and broom out and see if I can do a little gentle persuasion lol.

[ComradeJing]

Morning all!

Todo:

Put clean washing away
put clean clothes from holidy away
Reload laundry
Sort DDs old clothes into reuse for DS and donate
SORT STUDY

[MercuryRising]

Hello all

Im ashamed to admit I didnt even manage to flutter let alone fly today. I hadfar too much to drink on NYE ( I really should know better) and spent the day at work feeling sorry for myself. I then had dinner and went to bed with dd at 7pm Typically I am now wide awake and struggling to get back to sleep so I can have a more productive day tomorrow.

However, like DoubleMum I have decided my 2013 flying will begin tomorrow!!

Night all. I look forward to catching up and reporting some actual progress tomorrow.

[SilveryMoon]

List dump
to do
Get up make beds
S&s
Shower and dress
Reload washing
Get out the house
Tesco
Room rescue
Hotspot
Detail/mission
Clean fridge
Routines x3
Babystep
Dinner

Add parenting and playing into the mix and that'll do for today. Now back to sleep.