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.

hi,

I haven't been on here much but am just about keeping on top of routines, plus decluttering. i have loads to do so will stick to that, for this month. today I sorted through a box of old paperwork.

re. control journal, I haven't done this yet and I was thinking of doing it electronically, maybe on an excel spreadsheet. has anyone done this?

my garden is a nightmare at the moment, l neglected it last year and now everything is overgrown.d

I really think that the garden should be a whole separate zone of its own at this time of year.
After having put off my planting and weeding from yesterday's list, today was freezing so it remains undone.
We stupidly attempted a picnic in the park today but it started snowing on the way there and after only 10 mins we had to abort due to baby and toddler both screaming hysterically because they were cold :( ...I felt really bad

Ta dah
Showered, dressed, S&S - done
Laundry hung out - done
Tumble dryer on - done
Plant daffodils out - fail
Weed front door - fail
Filled in dd's passport application - done
Wash up - done
Clothes away - done
Phone dr - done
Picnic in the park - fail
Prepare casserole with dd's 'help' - done
Eat dinner - done
Bath dc and put to bed - in progress!
Send emails - done
Wipe down walls - CBA
Put away random gloves and hats that I cleared from the coatrack yesterday
Wash up
Paint nails
Light wash on
Bake something tummy
Wash up again
Eat yummy things
Shine sink

Mercury - How was your massage? I was just thinking last night that I could reeeeally do with one of those! Haven't had one since dd2 was born and my shoulders are so clicky from all the holding/rocking when she was tiny.

mrs - I did consider having an electronic control journal but I don't actually spend much time near a computer (I mn on my iPod). Also, I appreciate the prettiness of a lovely notepad too much :)

Hi! Were back from long weekend in a very chilly caravan, and the house is feeling huge in comparison! My only ta dah for the day was writing 5000 words of my dissertation, but it was worth it! Fuelled by coffee and left over Easter eggs!

ellesabe I had a massage when I was pregnant with ds, it was the most amazing relaxing experience!

5000 words in a day is pretty impressive sc! What are you studying?

Thanks! Ma in education, nearly there.. just got to hand this in by the end of may, strangely the combination of new baby+dissertation didn't really work, although my tutor reckoned I should've written it 'whilst the baby napped'

OK 2nd attempt at posting round up! Grrr

Silvery has hopefully recovered from her bleach induced headache by now. And has a lovely shiny bathroom.
Both she ellesabe and Bitchy had long lists today

WhoKnows came out of the naughty corner to recommendedFlash Bleach Spray alternated with Ecover Limescale remover (but not at the same time) for black mould, whereas PMPM suggested Lakeland's mould spray.

PMPE had a short list but a very effective one, small children, flat pack and paint is not a combination I'd like to try on the same day.

Mercury had a lovely day with friends yesterday but stuck in traffic trying to get home, luckily she has a massage today, so should be nicely relaxed

mrsbugsywugsy is on top of routines, plus decluttering. Don't worry about taking it further until you feel ready to.

ellesabethinks that the garden should be a separate zone, which is quite understandable, although timing it or the random weeks of good weather we get could be difficult! As shown by her snowy picnic , I think thermals next time.

Special is back from her long weekend in a very chilly caravan, and completed writing 5000 words of my dissertation, IN A DAY!!! All thanks to coffee and Easter eggs!

I have had a fairly productive day, getting back into the routine of full time work, plus incorporating Flying routines. I seem to do better in the mornings, so am going to get up 30mins earlier and get more done then. At least DH is hanging the washing out

Special just seen the 'while the baby napped' comment, I'm taking a stab in the dark here, but I guess HE doesn't have children

LINKS FOR THURSDAY 4TH APRIL

Babystep 4 is the post it note one. I've never understood why you would declutter your house to cover it in post its

Mission is to tidy away shoes & coats in the hallway

Daily focus is errand day

Flight plan for our routines, should update automatically

Good evening all!
I managed to clean my filthy car and boot, and even had it washed (first time ever!).
Went to football training this evening and afterwards did a double take as i couldn't see recognise my shiny clean car!

Apart from that.... I did some knitting...does that count??

Morning.
Well, I managed to get FA done in terms of FLYing yesterday. We were out all day, didn't get in till 8pm.
The bleached paper on the grouting didn't really have the desired effect so I covered the wall in dettol anti-bac bathroomspray and left it all day. Looks better now, just needs a quich scrub and I think that'll refresh it nicely.
Today I plan to get everything done on my list, but we'll see!
Off to the dreaded soft play (again) today.
Have a good day everyone.

Morning everyone.

Did Swan make an appearance that I missed?

ellesabe - massage is lovely, osteopath for post baby creaks is even better
Agree with garden being a separate area though also see Goth's point about the weather!
I have actually been doing 15mins a day in the garden this week in an attempt to do all the clearing up that should have been done in the Autumn. Its working :) Might try 15mins x 2 today but will have to be separated by a good few hours to warm me up again!

Special - 5000 words is very impressive, well done. at tutor.

List for today:

• Feed DC plus DD's friend who slept over
• Morning routine
• Cook with DS as he will be feeling left out by the girls - bread and biscuits have been requested
• 15 mins x 2 in garden (maybe - I've just looked up and seen SNOW falling )
• Feed birds
• Menu plan/Shopping list
• Dinner prepped - needs to be on timer so ready when we get in later
• Research leasing a car - DH's car has died, currently using mine but logistics going to get 'interesting' next week when DC need to be ferried around to places that aren't easy walking/cycling distance. Any information would be helpful as we are clueless - I have a thread here
• Walk/cycle to diving with DC later

That's more than enough. Hope everyone has a good day.

Morning all!
After a really good day yesterday I fell at the final hurdle and decided to have a long soak in the bath instead of finishing my list. Didn't even shine my sink. Whatever would flylady say?

Today dh has taken the car for its MOT so I'm stuck at home all day and hoping to make the most of it.

To do
Shower, dress to slippers :) S&S - done
Make beds - done
Breakfast and teeth - done
Dark wash on - done
Dinner out of freezer - done
Wash up
Tumble drying
Hang out washing
Email dr for repeat prescription
Friend round for coffee
Email friend re: toddler group
Wipe down walls
Lunch
Compile list of random stuff to get from town tomorrow
Meal plan
Dig out old exercise DVD in the vague hope that I will be motivated enough to do it when dh goes out tonight
Clean windows and mirrors
Dinner
Wash up
Bath dc and put to bed
Clothes away
Exercise DVD (yeah right)
Shower (if I'm sweaty)
Shine sink

special I did a MA in Education a few years ago so know exactly what you're going through! I didn't have a baby then but I was teaching full-time so ended up writing the whole 15,000 worded thing during the 6 weeks school holidays

i have a strong case of cba today. this is a problem as have lots to do...

thanks for the links Goth

special well done on writing 5000 words. I managed to get my dissertation finished two weeks before I gave birth. my tutor's wife had just had a baby so I got lots of sympathy from him for doing it at 8 months pregnant when I would have rather have been lying on the sofa eating cake.

just been pottering along trying to keep on top of laundry and routines today.

Afternoon.
Had a nice morning with my friend at soft play. Although it was very busy so the session was limited to 2 hours. How they can still charge over £7 for an over 5yo and only allow you to stay 2 hours is a joke.

I have an appointment with the gp in a bit to have another look at this ear. Really hope there's not an infection there, am sure i just need it syringed, but it's a bit sore and the ringing is starting to get on my nerves after nearly 3 days.

Today's babystep is shite, so I haver decided that the 4th of the month will be bin bleach day.

Back later with my TaDa

Hey everyone! I'm Ellie, new to mumsnet and new to flying! Really getting into it. Been shining my sink and lots of decluttering! Very keen to use the thread/lists to keep me going!

Came to check how I should be flying, but got distracted by dissertation talk! I didn't complete mine when dd was a baby so have a pgdip. Planning to upgrade this eventually - did anyone do theirs with the OU by any chance?

Today I need to:
Catch up with baby steps already
Wonder how wrong it is to order dominos pizza for dd and I. She's 2. It's wrong, isn't it?
Wait for DH to finally come home and hold ds so I can Do Stuff.
Another wash and dw load.
Wipe stuff.
Clear at least 3 bags from spare room. Everything gets chucked there so it looks tidy downstairs!

Welcome Ellie both to MN and to the thread .
Volare I don't think it's wrong to order pizza for dd. You don't do it every night, I'm sure she has a healthily balanced diet usually. Do it!

Right, must go to docs. It's still snowing a bit and will be cold. The docs is at the bottom of the road, it'd take 10mins to walk there, it'd be bad if I drove wouldn't it?

waves

Will post my to do list to try and motivate myself:

Finish cleaning bathroom (windows, next to sink and window sill)
15 minutes decluttering
Shine sink
Cook dinner
Empty DW
reload DW
more washing
Wipe round kitchen counters
Take out rubbish
Do some work (thinking of setting my timer to keep focused?!)
Hoover upstairs
Make beds

Will update later! xXx

It looks like dh isn't going out tonight after all so I won't be doing my exercise DVD. Shame

Still determined to lose that extra stone by the time I go on my hols though. Somehow...

To do
Shower, dress to slippers S&S - done
Make beds - done
Breakfast and teeth - done
Dark wash on - done
Dinner out of freezer - done
Wash up - done
Tumble drying - done
Hang out washing - done
Email dr for repeat prescription - done
Friend round for coffee - done
Email friend re: toddler group - done
Wipe down walls
Lunch - done
Compile list of random stuff to get from town tomorrow - done
Meal plan
Dig out old exercise DVD in the vague hope that I will be motivated enough to do it when dh goes out tonight - done
Clean windows and mirrors - done
Dinner - done
Wash up
Bath dc and put to bed - done
Clothes away
Exercise DVD (yeah right)
Shower (if I'm sweaty)

Evening. I'm heading up the naughty corner tonight. I have brought and chocolate.
Haven't done much at all, really need to pull my finger out tomorrow!

ellesabe the plan was to get it done before DS was born, but then a stressful/worrying pregnancy meant I ended up postponing it for a year!
Mrsbugsy yep, I hated finishing school and then going straight to lectures, I'll be so glad when it's over! Not long now, I just need to hand something in by the end of May, even if I fail I just want it done!

Today was a fairly productive day!
Ta dah:
Hoovered downstairs and up
Cleaned laminate floor
2 loads of washing done
Swept and weeded around the porch
Sorted through show rack and letter rack
Hosted friends+ babies!

Tomorrow:

Read through and review dissertation notes after my Aunt has read it through and suggested some changes

Drive with DS to visit sister for the weekend!

Not a very productive day but...

Ta da
Washing up
One load of washing td and away
3k run
Haircut and picked up a few bits for DS in town
DH and I both fell asleep for an hour on the sofa this afternoon while DS was having his nap

Tomorrow I am planning on...
One load of washing
Washing-up
Supermarket
It is highly unlikely I will do anything else - have been a bit optimistic this week.

Sorry for lack of personals. Trying not to spend too much time online.

Waves from my parents' house. Been a slightly eventful day as ended up spending part of the afternoon at minor injuries unit with DS2. Cut his chin open on a climbing frame. :( he's fine now but we've got to keep the steristrips dry for 5 days!