The Fledglings' nests will be clean in 2013! Part II.

[superfluouscurves]

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

OK, because we are all so good at chatting housework, we need a second January thread ... .

... where we (loosely) follow the step-by-step Flylady housekeeping system (in our own, unique, relaxed style) with lots of along the way.

This little-and-often system is designed so that we 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 us 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 we get when we are overwhelmed and everything needs doing all at once.

To avoid being inundated with details, we advise not signing up to the Big Tent

We are in the process of 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.]

Flylady site here

Don't worry if you are behind; just jump right back in and it will all come around next month again anyway!

Carry on everybody!

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes]

Beginner - it was a busy day, but I seem to have bags of energy at the moment. I had health problems last year and an operation in Sept but am now fully recovered and have started on a diet and exercise routine (need to lose 3 stone) and feeling much, much better. I am still feeling behind though from 6 months of being decidedly under par and 6 weeks of being pretty well totally out of action.

DD enjoyed Brownies. I am struggling a bit with evening routines on the nights when the DCs go to activities as now they are a bit older the activities are all later and cut into what used to be reading/spelling/chores time, the DCs are unwilling to switch to doing those things straight after school but I think they might have to start as that is generally when we have free time now.

[BlueEyeshadow]

Big waves to all. Today has been hugely busy work-wise but I did manage to get the ironing done...

I'm now in the throes of the fine details for DS1's postponed birthday party on Sat. Has anybody got any brilliant suggestions for quick and easy ways of making dinosaur bones for a few games?

Otherwise, Happy Birthday to Lilleth - hope you've had a great day! - and the new thread's over here.

Night all.

[superfluouscurves]

Aarrghhh, just had very long and heated discussion with dh about him going on another last minute business trip tomorrow and entire weekend - which means I have to cancel lots of pre-arranged plans which I was really looking forward to. Just hate having this lack of control over my life . I know work comes first but he can decide to go anywhere he wants to at the drop of a hat - and seemingly without consulting me beforehand. My plans don't matter .

I am now fuming and can't sleep and he of course was snoring 10 minutes after climbing in to bed ...grrrrrrrrr

Anyway, sorry, meant to come back on here before now ....

Thank you for new thread Blue! Have a look here! I like the sound of your party! Good luck with all the prep!

Hope you felt a bit better today Silvery - it certainly looks like it judging from your substantial ta da list!!

Whoknows great that you have your energy back - it certainly shows in your list!! And congrats on 6 bags of stuff for charity!!! I am with you on the "new regime" front starting in Feb (both house and body clutter-wise - have to lose 18 to 20 kg). (Sympathies with late-starting extra curricular activities - they are a pain.)

Beginners well done re: your list and for porridge/jogging initiatives! Looks like you have made a great Flying start. (I agree it is so much harder to be disciplined without work deadlines - and v. hard to keep on top of things when sleep-deprived - hope you can catch up on sleep tonight and that work "ticking over" plans work out for you)

Lileth sorry you didn't hear from your parents Hope it didn't spoil your day and good for you re: positive start with exercise bike!! (Great that you won it btw!!)

You've had a very productive day too I see Crikey - great that you late mum's furniture is being put to such good use.

Engels arf at hair comment and decluttering injury! Well done on your decluttering purge and 3 bags of rubbish!!

Bitchy luv that is a perfectly respectable list!!!

Hope you got through your list OK today Snowgirl and ditto with the alligator wrestling toffee!!

Waves to Trazzles Cuddledup Lauren Honu ¨Just Feetheart Ellie Castle Arses Nicknacks Mercury ¨goth Gossip cjb Jdub Madwoman Pushme, PA and Swan (if you happen to be lurking*) and anyone else I have inadvertently missed!!

G'night all ... [SC stomps off to attempt sleep in spare bed .. harrumph]

[ToffeeWhirl]

Sorry you have had to cancel all your plans, SC. That would annoy me too.

Lilleth - at your parents. Do they usually behave like this? They should be ashamed of themselves. I hope you had a lovely birthday with DH in spite of that.

Feeling all cross and wrong today thanks to having to sleep with DS2 all night (he was scared) and then having my home ed plans disrupted by unexpectedly having DS2 at home (took him all the way to school, where he had an upset tummy, so I had to bring him all the way home again ) and then discovering that MIL is coming round this morning (DH forgot to tell me).

To be fair, DS2 is playing very happily with his wooden town upstairs and MIL probably won't stay long.

Ta da :

Up and dressed
B/fasts
School run
Brought DS2 home again
My b/fast
Unloaded d/w
Reloaded d/w
Washed up extras
Wiped down surfaces and cooker
Put binbag out
Recycling
Swept kitchen floor

To do :

Home ed
Tea with MIL
More home ed
Ironing????

Am sooo bored with ironing and putting washing away. It never ends.

However, I have something to look forward to: I am having my hair cut and coloured today . It takes hours (as long as I can spin it out ) and I regard it as a holiday. Wish I had the nerve to dose off too, as I could do with a sleep catch up.

[Snowgirl1]

SC nothing more annoying than having to cancel plans you were looking forward. Hope your DH makes it up to you. I got through all my list last night except ringing DF about babysitting, which I've been meaning to do for the last two nights but put off because I feel guilty asking. I WILL ring him tonight.

Tada
Up, showered, make-up
Hung washing out
Put washing on

To do
Hang washing out
Mission - detailed hoovering
Declutter - office rather than lounge as it needs it more
Measure bedroom - am thinking of rearranging furniture and need to work out what could go where.
There must be more than that! I can think tons of things I need to do, but know I can't do them until the weekend (e.g. wash & hoover car, so that we can take photos to sell it; take bags of stuff to charity shop)

BBL

[Jamillalliamilli]

Sorry if I got a bit carried away with the grinning teeth. I didn?t realise how down I felt until I didn?t IYKWIM.
Lileth belated Happy Birthday! Sympathies about parents, they can be difficult to understand, and just as bad if you do!

Bitchy Sorry to hear you've a diagnosis to process, but hope getting a name to it might help you in dealing with the effects of it better and getting help (or at least recognizing in a better world you?d get help!)

SC the breast screening service is in the same state here, unless you know enough to bypass the system. There?s a total denial that some people don?t have family or help available, or that they may actually be someone else?s help. Ds?s school had an incredibly expensive disabled access built on, inaccessible to wc?s even with a helper! It had disabled access on paper, therefore there was no problem in me not being able to get in, (until I started making them have meetings in the playground, and when they tried to cancel because it was raining, produced an umbrella. now you know why the grin really matters.)

We are taking ?Feb is the new Jan? ?far too seriously here, so there will be changed/new/refreshed NY resolutions, and preparations for Candlemas ?and possibly earlier versions on the 2nd and the 14th, (we do both!) requiring between them every last bit of Christmas pine needles, ivy leaves etc burned, and all decorations stowed, and any earth to be used for growing sorted out. If that doesn't kick start us back to getting on top of things, nothing will.

Will try to catch up with everyone else later.

Still to do (sure there's more, but...)
Dentist (finish repairs)
Finish bathroom
Storage company
Recycling
shredding
PO
Shopping
Mechanics
Geography
Catch up he file
Try making storage trays for excess Christmas decs
Check sandbags
check food for birds
Make sure ds phone charged
Listen to friend
Dinner
Plan tomorrow
sleep

[LillethTheCat]

Just a quick pop in

tada

• turn on washing machine
  
• Dry Laundry
  
• put laundry away
  
• fill washing machine for Fri
  
• Make beds
  
• Wash up 2X
  
• Man came to fix leak under sink
  
• wash towels I have been using for under the sink (currently in dryer, will take them out tomorrow)
  

to do

• poss shine sink if DH has washed up (Im out 3:30 till 10PM)
  
• go to AAT course
  
• tidy front room (hopefully DH will do)
  
• 5mins cupboard room rescue
  
• listen to voicemail on mobile (I have rubbish signal here, but have had a missed call yesterday from Mind - Im hoping to volunteer - so will wait until I get to my course with a better signal to listen to message)
  

not doing

• 30 mins exercise bike (Id say I slept in, but Id be lying. I just didn't want to get out of bed)
  

Thanks for the new thread Blue I will mark my place in a second.

Sorry to hear about your change of plans SC can be very annoying. Hope you manage to find something else fun to do without DH.

Toffee - Im not really so bothered about my parents TBH, we are not that close and never have been. They are more of the throw money at someone to show them you care rather than actually acting lovingly. They always have been like that.
Enjoy having your hair done. I miss going to the hairdressers as I dye it and cut it myself while Ive not much money. Once Im working I do plan to start going again.

Just good luck to the new resolutions in Feb.



I might or might not be on later, it depends on what happens when I get home from my course tonight which depends on what DH is doing.

[superfluouscurves]

Evening everyone ...

Thanks for kind words everyone. Dh has gone and dd is v. upset (her plans have been disrupted too as her incompetent mother can't do the more far flung driving necessary this weekend - still get scared on certain roads when driving on wrong side ifyswim). Don't get me wrong - dh travels most weeks from Tues-Thurs and I'm used to it in fact quite like having remote control to myself. I just get upset when it is last minute and over a weekend and it involves letting others down.

Toffee sorry you had such a stressful night and morning - hope you have lovely new swishy hair cut to make up for it!! (And sorry ds2 ill again - the boys have really been in the wars recently. Hope they recover soon.)

Lileth¨well done with your lists - volunteering sounds really good- hope course goes well today

We loved the grinning teeth Just [grins] [grins] [grins]!!!
Totally [shocked] though at expensive disabled access built on to your ds's school which does not have disabled access to wcs!!! [shocked] That would almost be funny if it wasn't so outrageously incompetent. I'm not sure I would be able to maintain a sense of humour in the face of all that so hats off to you.
Good luck with your list and hope the sand bags don't have to be put to use.
Ditto here re pancakes btw - celebrating feast of La Chandeleur (crepe day) tomorrow and then on Shrove Tues too (the more opportunities to eat pancakes the better

Snowgirl good luck with room re-arrangements (and that's a perfectly good list btw!) Dh has promised that he will be taking the entire half term off as holiday and says he will arrange it so that we can spend some time alone (haven't done this in donkeys years) but we'll see if it comes to fruition...

[BitchyDragons]

Evening. Not very awake atm. feeling flat.

Ta da
shopping in the next town
get car tax sorted
research online about stuff looked at in one shop
couple loads of washing.

I am currently curled up in bed. Been very good at the early night thing the last few nights. the up and functioning part otoh...

[GoingGoingGoth]

Hello all,

Busy(ish) couple of days, and was so excited over the February thread yesterday, I forgot to update.

Today's ta-dahs

OVERSLEPT! not so much a ta-dah, as a da-da-dah!
Beds
Windows
Dd to school, JUST about on time
Washing up
Litter tray
Went into city to get present for party on Saturday, and wool (not enough for DD's jumper)
Mission (today & yesterday's)
Put dry laundry away
Put laundry on
Collect Dd
Dinner
Wash up & SS
Water plants

[Crikeyblimey]

Hi all.

Not bad day today.
Ta Da:
Up showered dressed
Creatures released / fed / watered etc.
Ds breakfasted.
School run.
Collected new work mobile from my old office.
Work till 3pm in office then home to WFH for a couple of hours (so picked ds up from after school club good and early :)
Vac sitting room
One load of washing on
Washing in dryer
Made dinner
Washing put away
Gave the toilet a quick swish
Washed up dinner things
Swept kitchen floor
Creatures put away for the night.
Was about to have a game of chess with ds but he has chosen to play against dh as apparently I'm rubbish!

Oh and the dishwasher we have probably chosen is £75 off at John Lewis (yey - not only do we get a new dishwasher, I might get to take my lovely family on a shopping trip to JL to "look at it". Now, I have a leeeetle bit of spare(ish) cash from the sale of some of mum's stuff and feel it needs to be spent on something a bit lovely. :)
Happy Friday all :)

[Engelsemama]

January is almost over! I will be very glad to see the back of it - I have been a grumpy mare for most of the the last 31 days.

Still my sink will start February shiny as that is the onoly house thing I've done today. But lots of other lovely "love yourself" stuff (run, home facial, new very un-me clothes) which I think counts as flying

Thanks for running the thread sc

[MrsPennyapple]

Hi everyone, I am still here, although haven't been on the thread for a little while. Things have been busy - had my 12 week scan on Monday and my driving test on Wednesday.

Scan was brilliant, little bean was jumping around all over the place! I was apprehensive after mc-ing last pg and only finding out at the scan. Driving test was also ok, not my best driving but I passed (third attempt), so am really glad about that.

So my nerves have been a bit shredded the last couple of weeks. I have been doing ok with housework but I wouldn't call it flying really. Hopefully now my two stressful events are done with I can get back on track.

Hope everyone is ok and having more success at flying than I am!

[BlueEyeshadow]

Evening all.

at jumping bean MrsP - how lovely.

Yay to new dishwasher too, Crikey

Sorry to hear about disrupted weekend plans, SC - how frustrating. Thanks for the dinosaur bones link. Went with the lazier (and more expensive) air-drying clay option in the end.

Ta da!
Work
Laundry
Errands x loads
Made fossils and dinosaur bones with help from DS2
Zumba
Sitting room and kitchen still clear from the weekend. :) wish same could be said for dining room

Will go and do first Feb links on the other thread in a mo. Aiming for a bath and early night, but don't know if I'll manage it...

[BlueEyeshadow]

Oh and congratulations on passing your test too, MrsP - missed that news first time.

• the virtual sort is fine in pregnancy after all.

[MrsPennyapple]

Thanks Blue. I'd really like some celebratory wine. Virtual will have to do though. Cheers!

[superfluouscurves]

Congratulations MrsPennyApple that is wonderful news!! and well done re: driving test too!! Take care of yourself x

Blue air drying clay much more sensible option I reckon!! Sounds like it is going to be a fab party.

Engels I'm really glad to be seeing the back of January too - and yes - all those finally loving yourself tasks DEFINITELY definitely count (if you'll excuse the barftastic language)!!!!

Crikey/blimey CrikeyBlimey you've done loads today!!! (And yay to shiny new dishwasher!!!

So have you Goth!! Well done re: your list

Sorry you are feeling flat Bitchy - early nights will pay off soon enough once you have adjusted etc - gently does it!

Right ... with loads of wing flaps to everyone else ...and grim determination to do better next month ...

... going to direct everyone over to Blue and the the shiny new February thread

[MrsPennyapple]

Anyone else suddenly being bombarded with flylady emails? Nine yesterday and four or five so far this morning. This is despite my setting it to NO EMAILS, and not having received any before yesterday, apart from the welcome ones.

[superfluouscurves]

MrsPennyapple yes - that's why we warn eveyrone about entering "The Big Tent" because one gets indundated with e-mails. Unfortunately, there is a mistake in my opening post (which keeps being copied and pasted) "to avoid being indundated with details" should read "to avoid being indundated with e-mails" (I'd obviously had too many when I wrote it!) Will post this on new thread too in case you don't see it here.

Have you tried this re: how to unsubscribe?

[Castlelough]

SC thanks for a lovely month. You are a wonderful thread leader!

[superfluouscurves]

Thanks Castle v. kind of you!

would have been good if I had followed my own links though!!

And if there are any lost stragglers about .. we are over HERE!!!