FLYing through March: Fledglings Assemble

[SilveryMoon]

Welcome to the March Fledgling FLYers thread

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

All the links for the babysteps and missions will be posted here every day and we'll all be here to cheer each other on.

to SC and Blue for leading us through January and February and for the brilliant OP I've just cut and pasted .

Let's get the old dust balls rolling for March!

[BlueEyeshadow]

Evening all.

Would normally be my main house bleugh day today but too busy working. Did flit around with a duster first thing though.

First day of the holidays tomorrow and I was convinced until Monday that they'd be in school so have had some frantic deadline making up to do!

Tomorrow is also definitely going to be errands day here, but hoping to fit in making some hot cross buns with the boys...

[lightsandshapes]

Thanks for the advice re control journal and routines.... House is a mess tonight. I'm giving up tonight and jumping back in tomorrow.......

[Louise85]

Aaaahhhh.....people coming this afternoon, and family this evening for the weekend and aaaaahhhhh complete CHAOS!!!!!!....And I'm sitting on MN...and out all morning :-(

I really need to start Flying properly. Back to babystep no1 from 1 April!!

On the plus side, Ds slept through last night - 10 until 6:50 (he's 9 weeks) - its probably a one off, but just so excited that the end of middle-of-the-night feeds are in sight.

Will catch up on how everyone's doing tonight, but for now, both dc are sleeping, and have half hour to do a HUGE house blitz

[superfluouscurves]

Psssst everyone, it's Trazzles birthday over here

That's great news about your dd Whoknows and if sewing doesn't grab your ds's interest, I'm sure something else will!

Louise Sympathies!! Ditto re guests over immediate Easter w/e then we are travelling Sun afternoon - I should be preparing for both - guests and travel usually motivating factors (esp as we will be having pet-sitters coming in and out) - but I mahoosively CBA currently!!

Blue watched Paul Hollywood make hot cross buns with "Mur-rey" the other day and they looked so good I thought I would try his recipe. Did Dan Lepard's last year and they were good but not so deliciously above cake shop level that it was hugely worth all the effort ifyswim (despite fab cooking smell) although cake shop standard v. difficult to beat here (not that hot cross buns are available). Anyway, going to give it a go. Usually make a simnel cake but dd has gone off marzipan for some reason.

Just got back from collecting my car from having a service (one of smallest cars in existence) and it cost Euros 500 (and there was nothing much wrong with it - they only replaced two filters) so saved my pennies and bought Easter eggs very judiciously on the way home ....

Glad you are feeling better MrsB and everyone else

Had better go, dd is home and doesn't want to go out again to tennis [sigh] can't say I blame her but it was the same with ballet on Mon and on Wed and it is a bit wearying tbh. Feel like giving up on extra curricular activities altogether atm tbh. All the hand washing, hair buns, trips in the car, waiting in the cold, helping with auditions/performances etc (which is what every mother does I know) and it all boils down a load of conflict [sigh] FussinrussinDickDastardlyharrumph ...

[GoingGoingGoth]

Afternoon all, hope everyone is having a good day.

Just back from my 1st full day of proper work since last June! Yes I do feel a bit wiped out. Luckily Dd is settled with a book, and Dh is sorting dinner (as well he should )

Managed morning routines before setting off this morning, and plan to do a bit later once I've finished this excellent

[ellesabe]

Well done going !!! And indeed everyone who is flying alongside paid employment - I honestly don't know how you people do it!

Tada
Showered and dressed
Made beds
Made and ate breakfast, lunch and dinner
Took dd1 to dr
Spent ages consoling distraught dd2
Washed up x3
Hung eggs on Easter tree with dd
Sticking and glueing with dd
Did a load of handwashing that has been sat on our bathroom floor waiting to be done since September for ages
Put clothes away
Order funky biker jacket from Joe Browns - hurrah!
Changed dd's snot-encrusted pillowcase
Put drops in dh's eye every 2 hours (yawn)
Bathed dc

To do
Get dc to sleep
Wash up (again)
Shine sink
Flop

Whoever was saying about jobs never being as bad as you expect was totally right. I feel so much better about having done that handwashing. Admittedly it was gross after having been hidden at the bottom of our old wardrobe for years and then sat in the bathroom getting damp for months...but it's done!
And there were some gems in there that I forgot I had, including some hit pink fingerless gloves and a nice white handbag!

[SilveryMoon]

My ds's have been such a nightmare this afternoon! I've sent one of them to bed and the other one won't be far behind.
Back in a bit once I've got a in hand

[SilveryMoon]

WhoKnows That?s great that your dd produced some good writing. Well done her
Louise has a 9 week old who slept through the night! Bet that made you feel better long may it last.
Huge happy birthday to Trazzles
Goth had her first day back at work since June. What do you do? How did it go?

No Flying done her at all today. We?ve not long got in from school, had some bits to do in town etc.
I did morning routine, but nothing else. But have just noticed that dp put the washing machine on before he went to work, so I?ll have to hang that.
Not doing anything else tonight though, it will all have to wait til tomorrow.

[SilveryMoon]

The jobs that always seem like a nightmare so you put them off? I reckon plucking eyebrows is one. I really really really need to do mine, but it'll take forever and it makes me sneeze but think it probably won't be that bad.
Will put it off til tomorrow though.

[SilveryMoon]

babystep 29 is all about the daily pamper mission here
mission is to do a really good detailed dusting. Of the big things.
daily focus is clearing out bag, purse and car.
flight plan to check our routines

[GoingGoingGoth]

Done
Beds
Windows
Washing up
Litter tray
Ironing
Wash up & SS

Silvery I'm terrible for leaving my eyebrows, adds to to do list

I've just started as a Seasonal Lesure Attendant, completely different from my previous office work! Going to be manning the bowling green and pitch n putt. So basically keeping the area clean & tidy, setting up the grounds and handing out equipment. I'm really looking forward to it, be nice dealing with people rather than spreadsheets. On the down side will be working this bank holiday weekend.

[BlueEyeshadow]

Evening all.

Boys were a nightmare here too today Silvery - fatal combination of demob fever and post-viral fatigue.

Good luck with the new job Going - hope it's not too freezing!

SC - I used Paul Hollywood's recipe but adapted to the breadmaker and without the apple because I didn't have one to spare. Needs more spice and I should have upped the sultanas to make up for the lack of apple but they are deliciously soft so I'll be sticking to this one I think. Still need to work on piping the crosses but some of them worked out OK! Also loved the look of Mary Berry's simnel cake. I had a slice from the cafe at lunchtime but it was disappointingly dry in comparison.

Ta da! - very much an errand day here.
Bit of work
Bought lampshade & blind for bathroom
Lunch out
Charity shop run
Aldi shop and put away
Craft activities with boys
Didn't kill boys despite severe provocation
Swept hard floors x loads - dust bunnies are breeding!
Cooked tea
Cleaned kitchen
Made hot cross buns
Cleaned kitchen again

Big waves to everyone.

[Engelsemama]

Morning all. I'm now on holiday for a whole week, so going to spend some time sorting out my house and garden.

To do
Shower and wash hair
Washingx2
washing-up
Hoover upstairs and down
Put chair back upstairs
Change beds
Clear hotspots
Finish letter to friend
Pop into school to sign paperwork
Go and have lunch at friend's house and eat lots of cake
Go for a run this evening
What's for dinner?

Sorry I haven't caught up on thread, real life has been getting in the way

Have a good Good Friday

[superfluouscurves]

Thanks for Hollywood recipe recommendation Blue - will definitely be trying for my guests

Thanks for links etc Silvery

Congrats on your new job Goth

Ellesababe good going with the handwashing. It's v. satisfying to finally conquer something that has been bugging you for a while have lists of them here

Better go [panicking] only myself to blame - doing crisis clean for guests and packing at same time

[superfluouscurves]

oops - posted a bit hastily ...

Enjoy your well-deserved holiday Engels

Humungous waves to everyone else

Ooh I see we have bunny emoticons [bugrin] [busmile] [bugrin]

And a for good luck!

[SilveryMoon]

Goth The new job sounds great!
Engels Good to see you

Hope everyone has had a fun and interesting day. Assume that's why no one is here
I am plonking myself in the naughty corner. Have done no Flying whatsoever today! Nothing.
I feel asleep on sofa last night, dp got in from work about 11 and he now leaves me there (he can only be called a c*@t so many times before he realises you don't wake me). Ds1 came in at some point through the night, trying to climb on sofa with me because he'd wet the bed. I sent him to my bed so had to then spend the rest of the night on sofa.
The boys then got up at 7:30 at which point I climbed into bed and told dp to get up and have fun!
I woke at 10am to a quiet house. Dp had taken the boys to the cinema, so I cut and coloured my hair (mn cut) then met them for ,unch before going to have my nails done and buy some new shoes.
Home for a bit, made sandwiches for dinner, took ds1 to football, back at 8pm, put them to bed and plucked eyebrows.

I need to print out some more tick sheets for my control journal, do a fuck load of ironing and fit the home bleugh in at some point this weekend.
Tomorrow I'm driving to Putney to meet a friend, sunday to Carshalton for a birthday party, back to Putney wednesday, Isleworth Thursday, Woking the following Monday, Fulham next Tuesday and hopefully will be able to catch a few other frineds the next couple of weeks.

[WhoKnowsWhereTheChocolateGoes]

Blue / SC - I made the PH hot cross buns last year and they were very tasty, a lot more solid than shop bought ones but not in a bad way at all. I used strawberry jam as glaze as I didn't want to buy apricot specially. I'm not going to bother this year though, no one really eats them except me and even I don't want 12 of them.

Well done on the job Goth, we spend a lot of our holiday time on crazy golf courses as DH loves it, it seems like a nice job providing activities that people love on their hols. Hope you get some good weather for your first weekend (Unlikely but you never know).

Not much Flying here (I seem to say that every day). Lazy morning, then DH took the DCs to softplay while I went to the garden centre and did a few bits of shopping. This afternoon we took the DCs swimming, the pool is not normally open in that slot on a Friday (lesson time) and we had the pool to ourselves apart from one other man doing lengths on the far side and a bored lifeguard, it was weird.

Then off to Waitrose for the weekend shopping. I never thought anything would lure me away from Ocado, but this new Waitrose is lovely. DD got me to sign up for using the handheld scanners a week or two ago and I was sent a 10% off everything for a month card in the post, bargain. The scanners make it SO easy, no more hoicking it all on and off the conveyor belt. Then dinner.

I'm tired now. The DCs are lively. DD and I are doing an Easter Fun Run tomorrow so we need to make some bobtails (we are going as bunnies). I hope we don't see anyone we know (unlikely, as it is a small town). [bugrin]

[WhoKnowsWhereTheChocolateGoes]

Oops, it's DS that loves crazy golf, not DH.

x-posted with Silvery - that sounds like a busy week! I have got pretty well every day mapped out this hols too, my jury service starts the week after next so had to cram everything in around that.

[SilveryMoon]

FFS!!!!!! Just typed up the links and deleted it before posting. gggrrrr.
Will do it again in a bit.
WhoKnows Don't envy the jury duty, hope you don't get a really bad one.

[WhoKnowsWhereTheChocolateGoes]

Thanks Silvery - so do I. It's the second time I've done it and the last one wasn't particularly traumatic yet it made a huge impression on me, I reckon it was a couple of years before I stopped thinking about it most days. Dread to think what effect a nasty one would have.

[SilveryMoon]

whoknows I dread that letter ever being posted to me. A friend of mine had a big one a while ago, she won't talk about it now.
Fingers crossed for you.

[BlueEyeshadow]

Quite a good day here, when we weren't getting into ridiculous arguments with DS1. Got to get better at avoiding those! Hot cross buns were lovely toasted for lunch and we had fish & chips for a lazy Good Friday tea. [busmile]

We're off to my parents' tomorrow for Easter and then staying for a week while the bathroom's being done here, with DH coming home for work and to supervise the plumber. Not at all geared up for it so it's going to be a bit of a stressful morning I think.

Happy Easter to everyone if I don't get back on here before then. [busmile]

[SilveryMoon]

LINKS FOR SATURDAY 30th MARCH
Sorry, fell asleep on the sofa again last night.
babystep 30 is to look at your calendar for next month, find out birthdays etc and go and buy all the cards you'll need on your next errand day. This is one I need to do.
No missions for the weekend.
daily focus family fun day. Am sure there are loads of Easter activities local to you for the family. Enjoy.
flight plan for our daily routines.

[pushmepullyou]

Morning all

Sorry, I haven't caught up with the thread yet. Just popping on because I've got a week off now Yey!!!! and have great things planned flying-wise. Sarting with a little list for today.

To do
Clean cat bowls
living room hotspots
Buy easter eggs
Go to cinema
Make a plan for the rest of the week!

[GoingGoingGoth]

Hello all, sorry for the low profile, I am around and will start April's thread sometime tomorrow.

Work's been interesting, was in the Sports Centre for the first couple of days, but yesterday & today was cleaning the bowling pavillion. It's been shut up for 6 months, apart from a cycle club using it (and not emptying bins etc) plus whoever was on the last shift last summer just left it. Binned 5 black bags today, scrubbed the kitchen, defrosted fridge yuck Thanks to Fat fairy, I did everything for about 15 mins, then did 15 mins of something else. It's just about all done, ready for Monday!

Dh is doing childcare as I'm out, so I won't say I have to start all over again when I get home but nearly! He's got used to me being home full time and doing it all. This week will be a shock for him, I'm going to start leaving lists with Dd,she'll make sure heroes it all

BBL