FLYing through April: Fledglings Spring into Action

[GoingGoingGoth]

Welcome to the April 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 is 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.

Thanks to SC, Blue & Silvery for leading us through since January and for the brilliant OP I've just cut and pasted.

Welcome aboard Doris. Most of us prefer not to subscribed but there are a few that have found the emails useful. Although more people on here have found the book really helpful for explaining the system. Just ignore her vomit inducing cutesy language.

After a nightmare day here I am only just considering getting up. Ds has presented me with one piece of homework but I am not happy with the standard. Though as he has 4 more pieces to do today I haven't the time and energy to get him to redo it. Personally I could go back to bed and sleep so am very glad that there is some coffee cake left.

ta da
ds x1 piece homework
sleep til 1pm
check internet stuff

Good afternoon.
The boys stayed over at a friends house last night and I've been told not to show my face until about 3pm!

Ta da
Up and striped beds
Bath and dressed
swished and swiped
fed cats
rubbish out
washed up from last night and shined sink
Laundry x3 all hung outside in communal area
cleaned litter trays
glass/mirrors/picture frames etc
glass shelves
dust
hoover
mop
cleaned washing machine drawer
re-dressed beds
hoovered cat beds
bleached plugs
polished all shoes
cleared out bag and purse
wiped down fridge
caught up with 3 detailed sessions in zone 3 - mostly organising toys and detail hoovering

To Do
collect boys
bring in washing
cook dinner
homework
clean kitchen
ironing
lay out clothes
get boys to pack school bags
make sandwiches for next weeks packed lunch
remove 2 fake nails that are coming away
re-paintg nails for next week
pluck the mono-brow

Back later to catch up

Quick welcome to Doris Come join the madness fun

Feeling very proud but knackered! Spent the weekend swapping the bedrooms over as planned. Mostly done but just things like curtains to move over along with poles and a few pieces of furniture to take to the dump. That can be dhs job when he gets home. :)

Wow! Well done Nick How are they looking? What did you go for for room divider?

Really tidy at the moment! They have a football table (you know like Joey and Chandler) and have put that against the chimney breast so they have their 'own side' each but still come together and play on it. When they get a bit older they might want something more dividing and I'll find something taller then.

That sounds great. Fingers crossed they keep it tidyish

I'm here. I'm still shite at flying. Will try again tomorrow.

Welcome DorisShutt Please feel free to join us, just jump in and do what you are able, you'll soon find we all dip in and out of Flying. Personally I prefer our little group to the website (especially when NOT doing the links )

Bitchy has had a bad start to the day, hope it got better.

Silvery was child free until 3, and can't we tell from the size of the ta-da list!

NickNacks finished the bed room swap, and it sounds great.

elliepac signed in, remember tomorrow is a fresh week and May can always be the new January I'm sure there's cake, & in the naughty corner. Only 9 more days left of April

Good evening everyone! Hope your Sundays have been nice and restful!

I came out of the naughty corner late last night, invigorated, at the ready, and sprayed and wiped out my oven several times and soaked the racks with the Oven Pride kit.

And then I swept the house, washed the copious amount ofdishes and tidied the kitchen.

Today, apart from more Oven rescuing, cooking and dishwashing, I have made hood inroads on the laundry pile.

Went for a lovely nap at 8pm and just going to get up now and do the essentials of my before-bed routine to get me off to a good start this week .

NickNacks well done on the room swap - that's a big job!

Evening.

Today has been mostly good. Nice roast dinner and cleaned the kitchen up afterwards. Took the boys to the park so DS1 could practice riding his bike - doing pretty well at it, with a few scrapes. Got a bit of work done too.

Need to get some flying done, but I suspect I will mostly be in the naughty corner until the end of April as that's my deadline...

Glad to hear the bedroom swap has worked well, NickNacks

Hi to Doris. :)

Going - the urgent job was fine, but still have the other, bigger and nearly as urgent job to do. Hey ho.

Welcome Doris by the way and wingflaps to Goth, Elliepac, Bitchy, Silvery and anybody else who may be about.

Toffee has the new kitten arrived yet?

Yes Goth I am hoping that May will be the new January, for me anyway.

LINKS FOR MONDAY 22ND APRIL

Babystep 22 is to continue your control journal.

Daily focus for Monday is the Weekly Bleugh.

We're in Zone 4 this week, the Master Bathroom; detailed cleaning list

Today's Mission is a 15 minute tidy up in the bedroom.

Flight plan for our routines, should update automatically

UPDATE UPDATED!

Castle has been Flying high. I always feel a clean oven is a big achievement. You'll be fine in May. If I can do links, so can you. I do them the second way in the list below (and double check through preview)

Blue has had a productive day

How is it I spent so long doing housework today (even did the ironing and all the things left on my list from earlier) but now the place looks like it did last night?
Well, not quite that bad but the kitchen looks like a bombs hit it.

Castle - yes! He is very, very cute - and very vocal! He spent the first hour hiding in our shoe rack, poor thing, but has since explored the downstairs. Then DH decided to take him upstairs to sleep in DS1's bedroom and the poor thing was so freaked out, he rushed downstairs and hid in the shoe rack again. He is sleeping peacefully now, with DS1 sleeping on a mattress on the floor beside him. Am not sure how much sleep either of them will get, but so long as I get sleep, I don't care!

DS1 is very, very happy . He has wanted a pet for so long and can't quite believe this kitten belongs to us.

Haven't done any Flying as the entire weekend was taken up with Operation Kitten. Am not sure how much formal home ed will happen tomorrow, but I think it's going to be a fun day.

Oh Toffee I am delighted to hear that! Cats really are a lot less responsibility than dogs in the long run, too. Although I used to fret so much about mine as a kitten - I lived near a busy road, in an estate, and before I adopted him he had gone into a car engine and travelled miles and damaged his hip/leg which never healed up. I worried about letting him out (he was about 5-6 months) and even bought a little cat lead to 'walk' him at night, as I was too embarrassed to do this during the day!! but he ended up being just fine! They quickly learn where their bread is buttered! Oh have fun!!! Home Ed-ing could take the form of kitten research today (or why not let ds start a wee blog about his kitty and kitty's escapades?!)

Aw Castle about your kitten's escapade in the car engine! Thanks for painkillers btw - sadly only takes two glasses of red to get me completely pie-eyed these days! Can't mix drinks any more either ... Don't worry about May - you will be brill! Congrats on your productive weekend.

Toffee glad you have a pet at last that suits all the family and that your ds1 is so happy! at them sleeping together!

Blue well done re: work + bike riding tuition

Silvery yes it's the ground hog aspects of it that get one down

Nicknacks new room arrangement sounds fab!!

Me too Ellie!!

Sympathies Bitchy Am totally exhausted by having the same battles over and over and over again concerning v. basic things such as homework, bathing, hair and teeth brushing, getting things ready the night before. DD appears to listen and comply ... and then, the next time, does exactly the same thing... arrrgggghhhhh.

A very warm welcome to Doris

Big waves to Goth and everyone else!

I am in a such a tizz about school stress/crap state of house/ forthcoming guests/lack of cleaning help (long story)/mahoosively busy calendar that I am deliberately not posting a list here because all the hideousness will then become real .

[SC wanders off in protective bubble of self-delusion]

Hi, can I join? I've just discovered FlyLady and am planning to start flying when I get back from holiday in a fortnight.

Just wondering, where is the best place to get the FlyLady book from? Did u order yours from her very American website? Would love to have it before I go on hol on Friday.

A warm welcome to ChocolatePorridge Think I got mine from Amazon UK. If you are UK-based, that'll probably be the quickest. Have a good holiday!

Morning all,
Cracking weekend! AND I got the floor washed (at last!!!)
It was sunny and we got out on our bikes - BIG fun!!!
And thanks to a MN recipe, I even did a roast chicken in the slow cooker. (must track down recipe post to say thanks, as it was blooming' deeelish!!!!)

done
tea prepped for tonight
washing on
all up, fed and out

to do
meal plan
clothes sort
file
dust

Have a gorgeous day xx

Hi, I am swanthin-/swanr!

I'm back. Partly due to springcleaning, partly because I am very bored without you all. It has been a horrible long cold winter - I'm so looking forward to getting back into garden too...

Oh and I see that Toffee has a kitten! Wow! We have kittens here too, four little 4 week - soon to go to homes in a month or so - kittens...They are adorable, just beginning to prance around and play elaborate games. Our last year's kitten is now 1 year old, called Ferdinand and he's draped over a chair peacefully after shinning up various trees in the garden for breakfast.

I have a NEW KITCHEN. In a new room(old playroom) in the house opening onto garden, and finally there is a utility room where the old kitchen used to be, so we have had major building work and upheaval, though luckily (in retrospect) no extension. Which might have lead to divorce. Tbh I don't think any of us could have coped with an extension. Not cut out for project management that's for sure....

So loads to sort out. Dh is in Berlin atm visiting his parents.

list
will start with putting clothes away
and stripping sheets
ring rubbish collection company!

Aw, you guys....!!! Thanks!

It was a lovely day. We were so lucky with the weather. Had lunch with some friends in a beer garden and spent 4 hours sitting there chatting and drinking while our 2 and their 2 DSs ran around the lawn area like loons.

Welcome Doris and Chocolate! (Mmmm, chocolate......)

Toffee - I imagine my DSs will be the same when we get our kittens. DS1 especially!

Not much flying done - too nice to be indoors over the weekend - so yesterday we cleaned out the pond. Turns out we have 20 large newts in there, and about 6 small ones which look like the last of last year's babies who weren't grown up enough to leave the pond over winter, and managed to survive the awful winter. Good thing we kept breaking the ice on the top.

Working from home today, so not sure how much flying I'll get done, but do have a few things that MUST get done. Will update later with what I imagine will be a ridiculously small Tada list.

Swan is that really you?????!!!! Yay!!! You've been missed!!! Thread not the same without you! [Swathes Swan in garlands of flowers and proffers champagne]

Great to hear that you (and dh) have survived house remodelling - a kitchen looking on to the garden sounds lovely!!

Yo Jdub Great to hear you sound so chipper! The sun makes all the difference doesn't it?

xpost

Great you had such a good birthday Lplate. I now have newt envy!