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.

[ellesabe]

Another list to spur me into action...

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 - done
Hang out washing
Send emails
Clear up lunch - done
Make meatballs - done
Take paperwork to mortgage advisor - done
Sort out coat rack
Plant out daffodils - tomorrow
Weed front door area - tomorrow
Clean hob - done
Iron 3 tops that evaded the pile yesterday - done
Collect dh from work - done
Dinner - done
Bath dc and put to bed - done
Wash up
Cut my nails
Sort out nail varnishes
Shine sink

Right, now to peel myself back off the sofa.

[Engelsemama]

Evening all!

Have a good trip SC

I have my thinking cap on for you silvery. I really need to start writing a cj again and getting my thoughts down. It makes it easier for me to stick to a routine.

As ever, my list was a bit optimistic though still happy with what I managed to get done.

Ta da
Washed car
Spent 3 hours pottering in the garden - tidied the garage a bit and filled up one green bin with garden waste from pruning and dead leaves.
Washing up
1x washing
Spent an afternoon MNing, eating choclate and watching trashy TV programmes that DH hates
Made dinner (risotto)
4.5k run this evening

Tomorrow
Hoover and clean inside of car
Spend another few hours in garden pottering around - especially sort out rock garden area prep and back door area. Start cutting back horrible prickly bush that I hate and cut back dead reeds.
Hoover upstairs
Washing x2
What's for dinner?
Trip to garden centre
Hotspots
Shred
Move armchair upstairs
Mission

Realistically I will probably do the garden/car in the morning and then enjoy having the house to myself again in the afternoon!

Time to undo my good work with a

[SilveryMoon]

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

So i got into bed and had a nap for a few hours!
I am still hoping to do a bit of detail cleaning and the washing up.

I spotted a thread in housekeeping about black mouldy crap round the rim of the bath. Some posters said about covering stains in bleach, packing with loo roll and coating in bleach again. I did that, left it on all day and now there is no black whatsoever around the bath!!!!
Just now got to figure out how to use that method on the grouting up the wall. Any suggestions? How will I stick toilet roll up the tiles? Masking tape won't stick, electrical tape?

[ellesabe]

Cling film?

[SilveryMoon]

Maybe. I keep mine in the fridge, it's easier to get off the roll without clingfilming yourself up iyswim. Not sure it'll be sticky enough, but will try it.
I think this week, I will ignore the missions and concentrate on cleaning up the grouting. (I altered the zones a bit to include bathroom in zone 1)

[CHBitchy]

you have obviously never toilet papered a bathroom Silvery. One does not need anything to stick wet toilet paper to walls/ceilings/mirrors/tiles etc. It just needs to be wet!!! It will stick itself.

quiet day around here. we have all been feeling the effects of the shouting and stress yesterday.

[SilveryMoon]

Ah, yes. I now have vague memories from my childhood. Will be giving it a go. Thanks

[GoingGoingGoth]

Today's roundup will not be focussing on wet toilet paper and bathrooms, I've seen enough of that at work today!

Welcome to another new fledgling Volare, and welcome back to Snowgirl
I like your idea of ebaying an item a day.

Bitchy had an early night and hasn't surfaced since, so is probably causing chaos elsewhere [bugrin]

Mercury was meeting friends from uni today but determined to fly first.

Jdub has the joys of self tidying DCs, only a bit

Castlelough had a full day planned, with some energetic gardening planned for the afternoon, lovely.

SC is/was on the road again (for some reason I keep singing those last 4 words!) and left a shortish post

ellesabe was sabotaged by her Dh (we've all been there, you just have to get rid of it when they're not around, same as with DCs) but still has a very respectable list, and the start of another good one for tomorrow.

Englesmama has been decluttering the garden! 1 green bag of pruning, good start to a tidy garden. AND a4.5k run afterwards!

And finally, today was the day that Silvery bleached the shit! There's nothing I can add to that

[GoingGoingGoth]

LINKS FOR WEDNESDAY 3RD APRIL

Babystep 3 to explore the Flylady website. I do find the launch pad a good bookmark.

Mission is to clean off dirty fingerprints in dining room

Daily focus is on anti-procrastination, but I'm so good at it Disclaimer, you'll be sick of this joke by the end of the month

Flight plan for our routines, should update automatically

[Castlelough]

Argh! My post has vanished .

Waves to everyone as I am too tired to write it again and am on my phone.
Thanks Goth for the links.
Have decided that during the school holidays I am changing "getting dressed to shoes" into "getting dressed to wellies" , as I have been much more productive in my wellies!

[SilveryMoon]

Ha Goth
I have just packed out 6 vertical rows of grouting with bleach soaked kitchen roll. The place stinks!
How long do you reckon it;s safe to leave it on for? Will it be ok until morning? It won't erode the grouting or tiles will it?
have a bleach induced headache now.

[CHBitchy]

Right I am thinking that i need a list as the second half of this week is going to get crazy...

Wednesday:
up
laundry
move wii for ds
folding
ironing
pack ds' stuff for his trip
sort out paperwork
meeting in next town
biscuit making
ds' clothes away
sort out stuff to go to ds' dad's house (can clutter things up there!!)
sort out stuff to go in car to go to training (including stuff i have forgotten was in there already)

There is so much that needs doing but i think that is a good place to start.

[CHBitchy]

i'd be tempted to at the very least crack a window silvery couple hours would probably do it so midnight if you can stand to be up that late.

Am heading off for an early night as last night had a bout of elastic reoccurring child and ended up rather late. night.

[SilveryMoon]

Thanks Bitchy The bathroom window is open. I had the bleach on the bath rim for about 8 hours, but yes agree with a couple of hours. The grouting is just a bit grey/brownish not the actual black mould so think I'll go in at about midnight like you say and take a bit off and check.

[WhoKnowsWhereTheChocolateGoes]

Bit late for this time Silvery - but Flash Bleach Spray is really good for black tile grout, just spray on and leave for half an hour or so, repeat if necessary. i alternate it with Ecover Limescale remover (hard water area) but never mix the two. Thank you for last month's thread BTW, and thank you to Goth for taking over.

I'm in the naughty corner tonight. We did have a very good collective tidying session yesterday when I got to the end of my tether looking for something, but really need to embark on more decluttering. PMPY - apart from the muddy paw prints I know exactly how you feel.

[SilveryMoon]

Thanks whoknows there is still loads to do and i don't really like the smell of bleach, just want to get it done as quick and easy as possible so i can concentrate on keeping on top of it.

[pushmepullyou]

silvery I guess you're on top of it now, but for future reference Lakeland do a mould spray that is fantastic for getting both black and orange/pink mould off grout. The spray bottle is beyond rubbish, but the stuff itself is very very good. literally spray it on and walk away.

CHB i remember many a happy hour as a child in the school toilets soaking loo roll and paper towels under the tap and flinging them up on to the ceiling . We were made to clean it off, which was less fun....

Not much official flying done here, but we have accomplished quite a bit of general housy stuff and am moreorless on top of routines. To make myself feel a bit better about it all here's today's list:

Ta da

Bought and assembled bookcase for DDs room
Declutter and tidy DDs room
Resultant bin bags to tip
Colour matched paint for hall and stairs
Painted massive window frame (1st coat)
1st coat gloss on stairs

Doesn't look that ong now, but it was very busy all day. Flatpack furniture and toddlers is not a brilliant combination

[SilveryMoon]

Thanks pmpy I think I will need to try something else. I left the tissue covered bleach on the wall for 2 hours but it's not had the result I was hoping for. Maybe should have left it on overnight.
I won't do that again or that much at one time. Only did it today because the boys aren't here so the chemicals wouldn't bother them.
I maybe should have left it on all night.
The strip I did this morning was on all day and came out perfect but I think the seal is silicone or something.
I don't like using bleach when the boys are here, too strong smelling and chemical for their little lungs.

Right, off to bed. Goodnight.

[CHBitchy]

i would say be care about the flash bleach spray. sets my asthma off ready badly really quickly. Can cope with the fumes of pure bleach better then flash bleach but sensitive to both.

Yeah, i know. still up. things not going to plan...

[CHBitchy]

*careful

[SilveryMoon]

Morning.
Thanks for that bitchy will bare it in mind.

I am awake and ready to get up before I would be if the boys were here. And I went to bed laterthan I normally would. Tut.
Back in a bit with a list

[MercuryRising]

Morning all.
Hi Silvery - you are always on here so early I hope you are enjoying a nice relaxed as you are childfree.

I had a lovely day catching up with my friends yesterday but spent four and a half hours stuck in traffic trying to get home - luckily the dcs were fantastic and it was nowhere near as stressful as it might have been.

I'm going with my dm for a massage and manicure which she got as a deal through groupon - so another lovely morning.

Later Im planning on getting the dcs out in the sunshine this afternoon for a walk round the lake. After all the freezing weather we have had lately it feels like we should be making the most of being able to get outside.

To do
Up and dressed
Dcs up and dressed
Beds made
Dw unloaded/reloaded
Washing folded off airer
Washing hung out
Wm reloaded
Laundry folded/ paired and put away
Ironing
Hoover car
Hoover throughout
Venture in the back garden to begin depooing - mammoth task after avoiding it for weeks
Ss
Shine sink
Make dinner
Weight watchers - after missing last night
Doctors (nothing serious)
Start revising
Mission

If I get all that done it will be a miracle!!

Have a lovely day everybody

[SilveryMoon]

Morning Mercury I know! Can't believe I'm awake so early.

To Do
Shower and dress
Swish and swipe
Clean kitchen (from yesterday)
Non iron away (from yesterday)
Check links
Rubbish out
Collect boys from friends
Drive to Putney
Mission/detail (think I'll start in the airing cupboard, could do with a tidying)
Babystep
Cook dinner
Laundry
Hotspot
Sort dry clothes
Non iron away
Ironing
Clean kitchen
Stray item dash

Think that'll do.

[SilveryMoon]

Oh, also meant to say have a great morning with your dm

[CHBitchy]

Earlier start then planned today here too Silvery
Ds decided that before 6am was a good time to be up and full of the joys of spring which had to be shared

ta da
Dough in machine for pizza for lunch
washing on
sort out stuff for going to a friend
boil up hand warmers
find ds' ds to keep him from under foot.
folding up-to-date (but currently washing so won't stay that way.)
put ds' clothes back into the now mended wardrobe
drink 3 cups of coffee in vague hope of attempting to feel awake