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.

[CHBitchy]

Sorry to hear you have been having a rough week Castle

[Engelsemama]

Evening all.

Sorry to har about your aunt castle

Today's ta da
handwash
yesterday's wash away
washing x2
washing-up x2
s&s including bathroom mirror
change beds
hoover downstairs
finish re-reading The Host now I just need soemone to go to the cinema with me to watch it
coffee table
home pedicure (well, soaked feet and moisturised. counts as a pedicure in my house )
watched 2 epsiodes of very trashy TV programme

I have 2 child free days ahead of me so am planning on doing some serious decluttering/cleaning and gardening as well as lounging around. I MUST do some exercise as well - I have spent the last month eating my way out of winter and my belly is not thanking me for it. I am supposed to be running a 10k race in 7 weeks (haven't managed that distance since last May so need to get my trainers on!).

sc glad to hear you so chipper!

[SilveryMoon]

Bitchy Sounds like a rough day at yours

To Do
Make beds done
Clear breakfast done
Feed cats done
Swish and swipe done
get dressed done well, to pj's
clean litter trays done
dust/polish done
Rubbish out done
Print off new tick sheets for my cj done
Laundry done X2
Babystep done
Hoover done
Mop done
Menu plan for this week and write shopping list done
Food shopping done
Quick clear of car nope
Washing machine drawer done
Hotspot done
Sort dry clothes done
Non iron away done
Stray item dash done
Clean kitchen done
Mission/detail clean nope
Lay out clothes
Check diary done
Study
Shine sink
Bleach plugs

Few bits there that I'll do in a bit.

[GoingGoingGoth]

Ok, 1st round up, hope I've got it alright, been watching Jonathan Creek whilst doing it.

SC has her mojo back

MercuryRising Honu & mrsbugsywugsy are still with us just take it 1 day at a time, I start fresh every month, and it does get easier

Just has had a Easter-Christmas chocolate mash up! Please keep posting, even if you're not Flying, it is lovely to hear how you are doing. Just think in 2 weeks the chaos should be all over.

push is decluttering, but fighting a battle against mud. It's been a long winter, hopefully this dry sunny spell will continue and you'll start to feel better. Remember the Fat Fairy does tell us that it takes years to collect all this stuff, so we can't change it all overnight.

feelheart asks if April can be the new January - of course it is, at this rate December will be the new January! And is in the countdown for builders in May

ellesabe is also determined that April will be the new January! Fingers crossed that DD2 sleeps through tonight

SilveryMoon has recovered from a boozy Sunday and been on a spending spree! Luckily her DH is paying for today's shopping, but hopefully she did get dressed eventually

ToffeeWhirl is lurking in the naughty corner hope you're not leaving chocolaty finger prints everywhere?

CHBitchy (STOP name-changing! ) has instructed her DS in some important life skills. He can come here if he needs further bathroom practice

Castlelough has had some sad family news, but has been able to support her parents , she would also like chocolate, baking or both, I think she deserves it. Planting the onion sets would be a good start to the gardening year.

SilveryMoon will be concentrated on babysteps but has a nice shiny sink (always a good start)

Engelsemama has 2 child free days ahead - lucky you! but has to train for a 10k race in 7 weeks! Eeek!

[GoingGoingGoth]

LINKS FOR TUESDAY 2ND APRIL

Babystep 2 is to get dressed to your shoes

Mission is to tidy away shoes from hallway, and declutter junk mail & magazines

Daily focus is planning day

Flight plan for our routines, should update automatically

[GoingGoingGoth]

Oh yeah, forgot my done list

Ta dah
Beds
Windows
Laundry on
Left strict instruction for it to be hung out
Work - fairly busy today, starting to know what to do without constantly asking
Nipped to Morrisons on the way on home for cat food
Dinner (for me, Dh had fed Dd)
Ironing (Dh fetched it in as well as hanging it out )
Washed up & SS

[CHBitchy]

Should be ok for a while goth happiest with one like this atm.
Got to say that ds did a good job of the cleaning, been a long evening as he couldn't think because he was feeling guilty. So much for my early night but hopefully tomo will go more smoothly...

Alarms set, time to consider bed perhaps?

[Castlelough]

Thanks everyone for the kind comments . Early night for me, snug in bed. Managed a quick tidy, grocery shop and sink has been left steeping in a bleachy solution.
Goth thanks got the round up.
Silvery your lists always feature an astonishing number of 'done's. Wow!

[Castlelough]

And Bitchy....this IS early, for you and me! Babysteps - don't forget!

[MercuryRising]

Morning all.

Im off to catch up with friends from uni today and can't wait, but before I go Im determined to get some flying done.

To do
Breakfast
Dw loaded/unloaded
Make beds
Dcs dressed, washed etc
Beds made
Hoover throughout
Dust throughout
Declutter car as its currently like a skip on wheels and I dont want to sit in it for two hours like that
Mission
Wipe sides in kitchen
Shine sink
Clean washing off airers
Hang washing out
Reload wm
Ss bathroom

I think that will be enough to make the house nice to come back to.

Have a lovely day everyone and big hugs to Castle I am very sorry for your loss.

[SilveryMoon]

Morning.
have a good day Mercury
I am looking after my friends ds whilst she goes to work this morning. They will be here in about an hour.
Dp is working nights so is now in bed, need to find something to do out of the house that won't cost.
I need to go to town to collect ds1's new glasses and get a few bits then home for lunch and possibly the park.

To Do
Clear breakfast
Make beds
Shower and dress
Swish and swipe
Feed cats
Rubbish out
Check links
Laundry
Mission/detail
Babystep?
Pay nursery fees
Go to town
Pop to Tesco
Park
Sort dry clothes
Non iron away
Cook dinner
Clean kitchen
Stray item dash
Study
Ironing
Shine sink

Can't remember anything else........

[Engelsemama]

Morning all.

Forgot to say to silvery for running last month.

Thanks for links and round up Goth

My list for today is mostly garden related. Still freezing here but the sun is shining and I can't ignore it any longer. I may come inside later in the day and try and do a little bit of decluttering and toidying in the bedrooms and bathroom. I never seemt o get to those spots as I'm always downstairs with DS on my day at home (and we don't have our stairgates on yet so hard fro DS to potter around upstairs with me).

To do
2x washing (first lot on)
Wash car done
Hoover and clean interior of car.
What's for dinner? - no idea right now
Hotspots
Hoover upstairs
Mission
Tidy up garden including - trimming back horrible prickly bush that I hate so we can dig it out at some point, deadhead roses I didn't do last summer , sweep and rake up leaves and debris, trim and tidy patch that will be rock garden very soon, clear patio and put out garden bench for lots of sitting in the sunshine, tidy tools in garage (at the moment there is a path to pick your way through all the rubbish), remove anything dangerous from junk area of garden, tidy area by back door.

DH has promised we are putting a gate on. He has the materials and now has to do some measuring and making. I have been desperate for this for years for privacy and security reasons and now we have DS it's safety above anything else (we live next to a fairyly busy residential road that is off a busier road out of town).

[Jdub]

Good morning!!! What a beautiful day!!!!! I can see the sun and LOADS of blue sky!
It's been a lovely Easter break with just basic clutter management going on, but I can proudly report that my dcs seem to have learnt the benefits of 'picking up and putting away' plus one of my friends was staggered that I'd managed to keep a 'toy-free' lounge!

done
empty d/w
one load of washing on.
massive filing session
sorted box in cupboard

to do
meal plan
more washing
hoover

Have a lovely day x

[Castlelough]

Morning!
of blue sky and sun JDub! Cold here! Thanks Mercury.

Ta-Da: breakfast! Boiled eggs and toast with DH before he dashed off to work...

To Do: shower, dress etc, brief piano practice, bank, piano lesson, errand while in town, visit DMiL, lunch, gardening (dig up strawberry plants and pot them, dig over bed, plant onions, plant seeds in seed tray, dinner (bacon&cabbage), dishes, laundry, WHB, knitting project...that is quite a lot!

[Snowgirl1]

Morning, hope everyone had a good Easter weekend. The FLYing has slipped a bit for a me in the last couple of weeks but, as usual, I have the best of intentions for the new month! I'll see how long that lasts....

Done: beds made & argument with DH

To do: Tidy up front door area, sort out paperwork in hallway, lay work clothes out for tomorrow, shine sink, S&S, tidy 'playroom'.

My personal babystep to controlling the clutter is going to be to try to put one item on eBay each day.

[ellesabe]

ARGH!!!

I had a bag of stuff to take to the charity shop this morning and dh found it!!! He promptly 'rescued' half the contents which are now on our bed without a home

Today
Showered, dressed and S&S - done
Sort out toys at toddler group - done
Get passport form from post office - done
Take half a bag of stuff to the charity shop - done
Lunch - done
Light wash - done
Unpack asda delivery - half done
Hang out washing
Send emails
Clear up lunch
Make meatballs
Take paperwork to mortgage advisor
Sort out coat rack
Plant out daffodils
Weed front door area
Collect dh from work
Dinner
Bath dc and put to bed
Wash up
Cut my nails
Sort out nail varnishes
Shine sink

By the way silvery I'm stealing your list technique - it's just so satisfying seeing all of these dones !

[Volare]

Can I join? In need of serious flying here.

to do
unpack suitcase
laundry away
dw on (round 2)
put everything where it belongs or hide in spare room
meal plan
clean front door
put sth on ebay
change bedding (and sigh at laundry mountain this creates!)
gardening with dd

ta da
caffeine OD
nappies
tantrums
windows cleaned not by me

[SilveryMoon]

Welcome volare that's a good list a already.
elles Yes I get lots of satisfaction typing done.

I am now child free till tomorrow morning. My friend just offered to have the boys overnight. No arguments there!

[SilveryMoon]

So, I have decided to compile a list of the babysteps for my cj replacing all the crap ones with a step of my own.
Now I already get dressed so what can I make the job for the 2nd of the month?

[Volare]

How about clearing out stash of takeaway menus, supermarket vouchers, junk like that? We have ours on a magnet on the fridge and it needs regular pruning!

[SilveryMoon]

That is a good one. I don't keep stuff like that.
Maybe it could be the day that I clear the notice board but again that's not cluttered, only got stuff on there I need.
Am thinking maybe wipe the extraction hood but need it to be realistic so I actually do it........
Got it. I have a plastic tub that the bath toys live in that's looking rather manky. Maybe the 2nd could be the day that Shit gets bleached and cleaned

[superfluouscurves]

Hello! En route here! (Using dh's lap top so short post) Hope everyone had a very happy Easter! [busmile]

We had 14 people staying over in the end (thankfully not all of them ate with us all the time - plate and cutlery supplies were still stretched)

Humungous thanks to Silvery for running the thread so efficiently throughout mad March . Enjoy your child-free time!

And huuuugggggeee thanks to Goth for taking up the mantle in April (already written fab round-up I see)

Castle many condolences - how sad for you and your family to lose a much loved aunt Particularly poignant at this time of year somehow too xxx (Thank you for your lovely message on other thread btw!)

Just glad you are ok! Was getting worried! Sending lots of energy through the ether to you for final 'push'! Sorry it's such tough going but thank heavens there is some resolution for you finally Enjoy your trip too!

Huge sympathies Pushme - felt exactly that way for last three months (and don't have work/travelling schedule you do) - really demoralising to feel so down - but have finally got some energy back - so I'm sure it will return for you too - take some walks in the countryside and suck up the sunshine xxxx . Big bunch of here! (Meant to be daffodils!) Sounds like you need to be kind to yourself rather than have kick up bum - take it steady!!!

Oh no Ellesababe at your dh undermining yr decluttering efforts

A warm welcome to Volare!

V. jealous of your gardening efforts Engels and Castle

Glad sun is shining with you and you had a good Easter break Jdub!

Good luck with all your projects Feetheart and Snowgirl (I'm with you in spirit - am similarly determined this month!)

Greetings to Toffee thread not the same without you and Swan but good to see you popping in now and then. Hope all ok x

Hope you have a lovely day with your friends Mercury

MrsBugsy yes, depends on level of clutter. Suggest baby-steps + 15 mins decluttering in current zone per day if decluttering needed, if not, concentrate on missions. Up to you though -good luck!

Big waves to CHBitchy (trying to think what the CH stands for!) and everyone else I have missed. On dh's lap top which doesn't scroll very well so hope I haven't missed anything/anyone vital!!

Enjoy the holidays lovely fledglings - back in 10 days or so!

[superfluouscurves]

Er, that wasn't that short actually [bublush] was it?

Big waves from motor way service station!

[superfluouscurves]

Forgot to say "hi" to Ellie and PA! Byyyyyeeeeee!!!!

[ellesabe]

Super your posts always make me

You nutter.