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!

arf at last item on your list btw! Hope your ds recovers soon - tis the season!

Engels I think my day will be similar to yours except my DS is a lot brighter today, I feel like I've been hit by a train.
Ache all over, coughing up all sorts
DS climbed up the inside of the fridge and got his "banana medicine" out to make me better, bless him, he's such a caring, kind little boy.

Morning all. No work today (hurrah) and as its far too cold to go out for a walk (me and DH"s weekly date) I'm at home tackling my pile of paperwork.
To do
In between doing a One hour Home Bleurgh I have to
Write letters of condolence to newly bereaved friend and my god daughter
Write couple of letters to NHS regarding my late dad's care
If it warms up a bit I might go and clean the car out as it resembles a skip
If feeling active will do some exercise.
Make bread
WIsh me luck this is going to be a tough day

Take care on the ice
XX

Ice? what ice?

ta da
try not to shout at ds who was being a boy this morning a stone would want to hurl itself at him sometimes
early morning run - not something i would ever chose to do

suffering this morning. couldn't sleep last night due to all the coffee drunk yesterday so got the knitting needles out.

first job today is to finish the new half finished projects off. Then i think there needs to be some ufo finishing off today. Need to rest ankle after the run incident this morning.

Hmm, not sure where to start today. DH has thrown me off balance by announcing he's having a day off work. He has been doing a bit of cleaning and tidying while I did the school run, so not all bad. I need to go to town later to sort out the DCs bank accounts (need upgrading as getting minimal interest now).

Feeling a bit down today, heard some very sad news (don't want to give specifics here, but not my family) a lot of shocked and upset people around school this morning. I didn't get much done last night as a result, was just not in the mood. I think I might do a few bits of detailed cleaning and some filing.

Snow is supposed to start thawing here from now on, it has been very beautiful but I'd quite like a spell of milder weather for a bit now.

Morning all.
Cuddled at your letters today, try to do something just for you today, to balance it out
SC think of it as working will keep you warm.

Today's list

Beds done
Windows scraped done
Dd to school done
Empty bins
Fill bird feeders
Water plants
Put clothes MIL sends for Dd into storage as they are too big
HUGH pile of ironing
Laundry on
Go to 'introduction to self employment' thingy at JC
Pick up a few bits from shops on way home
Continue ironing
Possibly bake
Collect Dd from school, and go home via park (she wants to feed squirrels again)
Dinner
Wash & shine sink

Hope you all have a good day, and that melting snow isn't a PITA

SC and Blue - thank you for your comforting words about clutter getting worse before it gets better. Am still grinning at the "knee deep in alligators" phrase, Blue - there are a lot of bloody alligators in this house, I can tell you .

SC - you are right about the DC not being able to let off steam and it affecting their sleep. They are like puppies, needing plenty of exercise .

Thanks for the snacks .

Silvery - you don't sound PFB at all. I think you should follow your instincts and only let your DS go to school when you are absolutely sure they know how to deal with his asthma. It's far too important an issue to take lightly. I hope he gets the right meds and it's under control again soon. DH and I both get asthma and don't think twice about it because we take regular meds and so it isn't a problem (wouldn't like to be without my inhalers though).

Engels - I'm grinning at your phrase, "super pooping DS". I hope he's better soon.

Cuddledup - what sad letters you are having to write today . I agree with the advice above - you need to take some time to do something nice for yourself to balance it out. I'm very sorry to hear that you were unhappy with the NHS care for your Dad. I have been through that myself with my own father and we complained too.

WhoKnows - sorry for your sad news today.

Beginner - good for you for keeping your cleaner! DH was against having one for years and only gave in when I started home educating DS1 and the mess started to get out of control. Home educating felt like hard work to start with but, like any new job, I have grown used to it now and it's fine. You don't have to do school hours as you can fit a lot of work into a short space of time (one-to-one being far more efficient than 30-1!). I enjoy all the subjects we study (brings back a lot of old school stuff) and it's great to see DS1 thriving as he was completely miserable and ill with anxiety at school.

Managed to get a very reluctant DS2 to school today. I felt so mean making him go in, but he's had so much time off and I'm pretty sure it is 'schoolitis' rather than real illness. Noticed he had a supply teacher, though, which means if he is ill he'll be too shy to tell her . I can't win though, can I? I feel guilty for taking him in and guilty for keeping him at home.

Plenty of home ed to get through today. Won't start proper Flying till that's done. Was going to take DS1 swimming, but he's feeling poorly. If he feels better later, we could take DS2 as well and then maybe DS2 will go to sleep on time tonight .

Hope you all have a good day.

Good morning all, no more snow here, but could hear cars crunching along the road, so sounds like it has frozen overnight. Glad I didn't have to get up and go to work.

done yesterday
usual morning routines (apart from getting dressed)
caught up on mumsnet, facebook, ravelry (knitting site),
done some internet window shopping
ordered a much wanted Moshi Monster hmm
drank tea (several times)
been outside and taken snow pictures
taken photos of finished knitting projects (for ravelry)
done some knitting
Monday's mission - I have drawers under the bed so I tidied them, managed to declutter quite a bit, but still put a lot back, you can't get rid of everything grin
Tuesday and Wednesday's mission
changed bedding
washed bedding
lots more knitting
uploaded photos to ravelry
cooked tea - homemade ping dinner, so not much to do
washed up/tidied kitchen
watched tv
early night

done today
usual morning routines except for the getting dressed bit - it's my day off
caught up on websites/internet window shopping/caved in and bought a ball of wool
more knitting
hoovered living room and hallway
got out some of my papercrafting stuff, so dining room and living room untidy again

Now off for a long soak in the bath, might do Thursday and Friday's missions whilst I am up there, then need to hoover the bedroom.

Good morning team January,
I hope everyone has a lovely Friday and weekend lined up...

done
empty d/w
everyone up, dressed, fed and out.
shopping list planned
beds made
OH sorting washing and tea if I'm lucky - good egg!

to do when I get home from work/over the wknd
downstairs bathroom
upstairs hoovering
gather swimming stuff together for the morning
filing
school shoe/boot cleaning
wash ds2's coat
bath ds1&2
dust lounge
bedroom missions (still got stocking pressies to find homes for)
finally remove and home ALL remaining Christmas prezzies from the lounge floor
dust dcs bedrooms
make cake (all the Christmas cake has gone - boooo!)
sort cluttered bag

Better crack on and do some 'at work' work!
Happy Friday one and all!

Thanks Toffee He's not even my first born!
He hasn't been officially diagnosed with asthma. they say he's too young for that (4 in a few weeks) so only has the blue inhaler, not the brown one.
He seems ok. Breathing is loud but that's not unusual.

Had a rough night, so trying not to do too much, but really don't want to fall off the wagon. I'm already feeling a bit meh about spending 15 mins a day in each zone.
The problem here, is that it looks fine. We have no hotspots or dumping places, dp refuses to put up shelves, so we have no nick-nacks or anything like that, so everything we have is essential stuff, no pointless vases with holes and stems too small to fit anything in, no pretty candle holders or ornaments so it's all minimal work which leaves me unmotivated. Think if I was surrounded by crap, I might feel differently.
But then, I look behind the doors (doors are kept open here), or behind the telly (which I haven't cleaned behind for years) and I am ashamed!
Come on motivation, where are you????

Sorry about that.

Afternoon all

tada

• turn on washing machine
• wipe down windows
• Make beds
• Grocery Shopping
• Wash up 2X
• Dry Laundry
• wipe bathroom
• read life advice list
• go to skip (Im surprised at the amount of rubbish accumulated in the front room in the 10 months we've been living here)
• mend broken coat as it ripped in the middle of the supermarket. I wouldn't care, but Ive only had it 4 months. Luckily it was on the seam so I could do a quick sew of it and it looks ok from a distance, but nobody is going to look that closely at it anyway.

to do

• Wash up
• put laundry away
• shine sink
• 15 min front room
• 5 min cupboard room rescue
• sort out clothes for Sat
• Fill washing machine ready for next load (maybe sat if we dont visit family, but sunday if weather allows us out for the day)
• bring in handfull of rubbish from the car (aaagghh totally forgot about this one and Im not going in it again today, the plan was to bring things in everytime I go somewhere so eventually it will be rubbish free so probably wont get done now)

So Im half way through today's planned lists. Could have done without fixing my coat though. It was harder than I thought it would be.

Sorry to hear about the bad news whoknows

Beginner I plan to get a cleaner once Im at back at work, just once or twice a week I think.

cuddled sorry to hear about you having such horrible tasks of writing letters.

BBL

Children's bank account upgrade took AGES. I then needed to change the standing orders from my current account to the new ones, I'm with a different bank but they are part of the same group. So I walked to the other one and it had a queue a mile long. Came home to do it online, couldn't do it, phoned up, held for 10 mins only to be told that due to a security measure you are locked out of making new standing orders online for a week after any "significant activity" on accounts in your name within the group, for example changing your children's bank accounts. They suggested I go to my branch. Grrr!

Cuddled - so sorry about your letters... Horrible thing to do but I'm sure they'll be appreciated. They always are.

WhoKnows - sorry you're dealing with sad news too. And annoying bank stuff. It's so frustrating, isn't it?

ToffeeWhirl - Home ed sounds very interesting indeed. I'd love to know more about it. V happy with our local primary and our children seem happy to but I do know more people are home ed-ing these days...

SM - glad your son seems ok. Hope it stays that way

Ok, so, not much done as have DC2 with me today and various social dates!

Done:

Tidy breakfast
DCs wash on
Wipe and dry kitchen surfaces
V superficial/half-hearted playroom tiday (soooo needs serious de-cluttering)
DC1 to school
First ever coffee morning that I could attend (was v nice!)
DC2 lunchdate

To do:

[Err, not much today as have parents coming and am off to theatre with DH this evening (leaving here at 5)]
Collect DCs
Hang up DC washing
Cook DC supper
Babystep 4

Still impressed with everybody else's lists! Aspirational for me at the moment only!

Afternoon

Today's list

Beds done
Windows scraped done
S&S done
Dd to school done
Empty bins done
Fill bird feeders done
Water plants
Put clothes MIL sends for Dd into storage as they are too big
HUGH pile of ironing DONE!
Laundry on done
Go to 'introduction to self employment' thingy at JC done and overran
Pick up a few bits from shops on way home done
Collect Dd from school, and go home via park (she wants to feed squirrels again) -just about to go, have peanuts in pocket
Dinner
Wash & SS

Just seen Scottish smileys [bgrin]

And remembered Dd is having veggie haggis at school today. Hope it went well, otherwise she'll be [bangry] when I pick her up. Better go!

Dp's just woken me up on sofa. It was half 12 last time I looked at watch! Whoops. Good job ds2 is ok.
Better shift myself and do some flying

Hi all.

Some impressive lists again. Sorry for those with poorly people / sad stuff going on (don't mean to not name names but I'm on my phone and can't see back up there whilst typing.

Today I worked from home so:
Up, dressed, breakfasted and creature husbandry attended to.
Ds to school then back home to work.
During my "lunch break" managed to Hoover sitting room and stairs / landing.

Went to collect ds from school at 3.15 as chess club was cancelled due to snow. One of his friend's asked if he could come with us as his dad doesn't have a mobile and wouldn't know it had been cancelled. Now, the easy and sensible thing would have been to take him back into school to wait the hour for his dad. Feeling sorry for the poor kid, we all went to sit in my car to try and phone the lad's mum - no answer. Anyway - after waiting 10 mins to be sure the dad wasn't coming, I ran ds and his other friend to other friend's house amd took lad back to school to wait the 20mins or so for his dad to arrive at the usually chess club finish time. 30 mins later, still no sign. Another 5 mins and dh rings me to say the lad's dad is at OUR house having been told by another random mum that I had taken lad home :(

Why on earth would she say that? I would not have taken child to my house without first alerting a parent that I had him. Could you imagine if the dad had turned up at school and no sign of his son or anyone else! Stupid bloody woman.
Anyway - finally delivered child home at 4.55 :(
Bearing in mind, I'm working only nipped out at 3pm to collect ds.

Oopps - pressed post too soon (although with that rant up there you're probably glad I did!).

Upshot is, bugger all done (apart from the vacing) amd I now have another 2 hours of "paid for" work to do. Grrrrrrrr.

Hey ho - at least it's wine night.

How did it get to nearly 8PM

tada

• turn on washing machine
• wipe down windows
• Make beds
• Grocery Shopping
• Wash up 3X
• Dry Laundry
• wipe bathroom
• read life advice list
• go to skip (Im surprised at the amount of rubbish accumulated in the front room in the 10 months we've been living here)
• mend broken coat as it ripped in the middle of the supermarket. I wouldn't care, but Ive only had it 4 months. Luckily it was on the seam so I could do a quick sew of it and it looks ok from a distance, but nobody is going to look that closely at it anyway.
• put laundry away
• shine sink
• 15 min front room
• 5 min cupboard room rescue
• sort out clothes for Sat
• Fill washing machine ready for next load (maybe sat if we dont visit family, but sunday if weather allows us out for the day)

not doing

• bring in handfull of rubbish from the car (aaagghh totally forgot about this one and Im not going in it again today, the plan was to bring things in everytime I go somewhere so eventually it will be rubbish free so probably wont get done now)

Right I have two lists for tomorrow as it all depends on the weather:

list 1 (assuming the weather is OK for us travelling down to York to visit family)

• wipe down windows
• Make beds
• Wash up 2X
• wipe bathroom
• read advice list (full of good lift my spirits quotes)
• shine sink
• 15 min front room
• 5 min cupboard room rescue
• sort out clothes for Sun
• visit family

list 2 (assuming the weather/roads are too dangerous to drive)

• wipe down windows
• Make beds
• Wash up 3X
• wipe bathroom
• shine sink
• 15 min front room
• 5 min cupboard room rescue
• sort out clothes for Sun
• turn on washing machine
• dry laundry
• put laundry away
• fill washing machine up for Sun
• read advice list (full of good lift my spirits quotes)
• Do puzzle with DD1
• build a snowman
• have a snowball fight with DCs 1+2

I think I'll be doing list 1 as its meant to snow overnight, but be ok tomorrow. The gritters have been out and according to the local news they are going to be working through the night to try to keep the snow off the roads. Will see though, nothing's set in stone.

I keep saying to DH "dont put it down - put it away" so Im hoping we can get that mantra into our house and all get into the habit of putting things away.

Hope everyone has a good weekend.

Crikey I can see why you're a bit peeved about that, and I think you did the absolute best thing. How old are they?
Not sure what I'd have done, but glad all worked out and everyone is safe.

I didn't get much done today, just normal routines that I have been doing for years that keep me on top of surface stuff.

I really need to start to make more of an effort to fully FLY and do the missions and the detailed cleaning.
Not sure why I can't appear to do it. Oh yes, I do, because I just can't be arsed!
I need some ways to get and stay motivated.

Tomorrows list
Up and make beds
Get breakfast
Shower and dress
Swish and swipe
Clear breakfast
Laundry
Rubbish out
2 mins hotspot
Menu plan
Shopping list
Food shop
Dinner
Clean kitchen
More laundry
Non iron clothes away
Stray items away
Shine sink
Lay out clothes
Start the home bleugh to be continued Sunday

I've also promised the boys we will go and kick a ball about tomorrow as football training was cancelled tonight.

Evening all,

Well didn't get much done today, but DH made the most of his day off and did a big clear out of his clothes, plus a repair job that has been waiting for months. DD had drama group after school, then we all had Dominos together and I am still within my MFP limit for the day (after very careful scrutiny of the menu.

Thank you for kind words about the sad news. I don't even know the people concerned terribly well, but it is a really awful thing that happened, it has made me reflect on things quite a lot.

Busy weekend in store, hoping the snow will melt overnight. DD wore her snowboots to drama, we forgot to take indoor shoes so she did it barefoot and when I came to get her the boots were gone. We hunted high and low but couldn't find them. So we were stranded with her in stockinged feet, the car a good 100m away over snowy ground and me unable to pick her up due to my surgery (I could have given her a piggy back if she'd climbed on a chair so long as I didn't actually lift). Anyway a kind dad carried her all the way to the car for me and saved us! Hoping someone picked them up by mistake and will return them promptly.

WhoKonws What a pita about the boots. I really hope someone did pick them up by mistake and you get them back. That wouldn't happen here, you take your eyes off of something you own here and its gone in a flash!
Great that there was a kind dad there to help you.

Just did some more studying and submitted an assignment paper, but I have drank just over half a bottle of wine, so hoping my answers made sense..................we'll see.

Think I'll go to bed now. G'night

Oh no, hope the boots turn up, WhoKnows and sorry to hear about the bad news at school.

Crikey - how frustrating!

There are some very impressive lists on here too. I've done no real flying today, but lots of work and admin and suchlike. We had a very nice Burns Night dinner - no Scottish connection at all, but DH likes haggis and I can put up with it once a year. :) Rather calorific but hoping the rest of the week was good enough to get away with it...

Big waves to all. Night!

[SC stumbles in misquoting Rabbie (hic) ... tries not to disturb Bitchy... ...]

Evening/morning all. It was a friend's 50th b'day Spotify party this eve...had great time ...just what doctor ordered ...although dh was grumpy (tired) and I ate and drank far too much again. Could barely fit in to my spanx as it was .

Sorry to have been absent from thread again today; hope you are all OK.

Although so sorry about sad news Whoknows and hope boots get returned (I can't imagine anyone would be mean enough to purposely take a child's boots in this weather. Certainly hope not anyway).

Sorry about your sad letter writing tasks Cuddledup I hope you are ok x

Silvery glad your ds breathing ok. We had official smog warning here today (now lifted). Do the Flying minimum and your mo-jo will return...!

Crikey sorry about shenanigans arising from doing a good deed - I'm sure parent was very grateful to you though.

Thanks for boot Goth Much needed and appreciated. Wish I could say that I had done a lot of Flying ...which I can't in all honesty Arf at Scottish smilies [bgrin] Hope JC talk was helpful.

Gah, yes we still have stocking presents to find a home for here Jdub

Toffee I can imagine it must be tough for your ds2 going to school when his older brother is being educated at home and huge sympathies over "guilty when he's at home/guilty when he's at school". Feel equally awful/anxious sending dd off to school while she is going through this current "thin, pale, shaky" stage although small school so pastoral care is good. Hats off for home edding btw - I wouldn't know where to start - I find it hard enough just getting dd to do the set hwk. Great that your ds1 is thriving on it.

Lilleth v impressed by your weather-dependent alternative lists for tomorrow! Now that's organisation!

Glad the haggis went down well Blue!

BeginnersSAHM hope you had a good time at the theatre and your half-hearted play-room tidy is a regular occurence in our house!! Must get down to the proper clear-out soon ...[shudders at thought]

Bakerofcakes I like the sound of all the creative things in your list (snow pictures, paper-crafting, knitting etc). Arf at 'ping' dinner - must remember that phrase!

Hope your ankle is mending Bitchy

So sorry you have succumbed to illness now Shifty¨(aw at your little boy though!)

Hope your ds feeling a bit better Engels and that you avoided the ice patches! [Wasn't "super pooper" an Abba song?? )

Waves to eveyrone I've missed!

Back with links then crasssh....dh went to bed at least two hours ago and started snoring loudly after 10 seconds ...but I always find it harder to wind down ...

**

Baby-step 26 for Sat 26th Jan is here guff about it taking a month to establish a habit & more guff about Big Tent nonsense

No zones or missions because it is the weekend

Saturday is family fun day

Today's flight plan

Reminders!

Have a good one everybody and hope to be back on the thread during daylight hours tomorrow!!

Toffee just came across this by accident - apologies if you have already seen it/it is stating the obvious/you are already on top of it