Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

FLYing through April: Fledglings Spring into Action

604 replies

GoingGoingGoth · 31/03/2013 17:38

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.

OP posts:
superfluouscurves · 07/04/2013 18:32

Heellllooooooooooooooooooo!

[SC whizzes past at high speed]

Still travelling but just wanted to drop in and wave to everyone. Have re-started health and fitness regime today (hard when on holiday but desperate times need desperate measures; only two pairs of my trousers fit me atm!) Just thought writing it down officially on here might help me cement it in my mind etc.

On dh's tablet/Blackberry thing so can't scroll much but hope everyone OK!

Vigorous wing flaps to all!

SilveryMoon · 07/04/2013 18:38

To Do
Up and make beds done
Get breakfast done
Feed cats done
Clear breakfast done
Shower and dress done
Swish and swipe done
Rubbish out done
Change bed sheets done
Hoover cat beds
Polish/dust
Wipe/polish shoes
Laundry done
Ironing done 1 20 item batch
Ironing
Ironing
Ironing
Sort dry clothes done
Non iron away done
Cook dinner done
Defrost for tomorrows dinner done
Clean kitchen
Think of today's extra job sod it for today
Print off stuff for ds1 nope
Hotspots done
Play/tidy done
Stray item dash done
Lay out clothes
Shine sink

Few things there to do this evening. Ironing being the top job.

to sc good to see you.

Engelsemama · 07/04/2013 19:17

Ta da
Family duty (FIL birthday)
5k run
Renewed my spirit by watching GW this morning
Helped DH carry heavy cabinet up into loft
Hour and a half gardening gardening while DS asleep
Washing up
One load washing in the td
Took yesterday?s wash out of machine
Filled up changing bag
DS bed changed
Cleaned fridge
Filled up salt cellar and sugar bowl
DS bathed and in bed
Bathroom floor cleaned well, wiped up after DS splashed water everywhere but still counts
Dried sage

Plan for tomorrow (posting now to motivate me) is shopping for bits and pieces (supermarket, DS clothes and superdrug type shops) as well as mini home bleurgh...
-our bed
-hoover
-water plants
-clean glass in door between kitchen and lounge
-lounge hotspot
-internet banking
-order lovely plants book
-one load washing
-empty bins

and an hour in the garden while DS is asleep.

BlueEyeshadow · 07/04/2013 19:52

Hello everyone. Back home today and the bathroom is mostly done, which is all good. Slightly dreading the come down tomorrow as we've had a lovely week with my parents - no cooking or cleaning and lots of fun things to do.

Ta da!
Packed and on the road by 9.00 am
Good run home with no major hold ups
Dusted everything in the house - brick dust
Hoovered throughout
Wiped down bathroom tiles and new suite
Bit of tidying in the garden - actually felt like spring!
Unpacked
One load of washing done

to do tomorrow
Shopping
batteries in smoke alarm
recycling
make bread
friends round for lunch
check up on computer
Probably loads of other stuff that I can't remember now.

Big waves to everyone and a tray of Brew and Wine on the bar.

elliepac · 07/04/2013 19:54
GoingGoingGoth · 07/04/2013 21:08

Only a quick update as my To do list included watching Once Upon a Time with Wine

Very quiet morning here today, hopefully a sign that everyone was having relaxing days

OP posts:
Ellietryingtofly · 07/04/2013 21:11

Had a really bad day so hiding in the naughty corner. Hopefully things will improve in the next few days Sad xXx

GoingGoingGoth · 07/04/2013 21:20

LINKS FOR MONDAY 8THAPRIL

Babystep 8 is to start your control journal with written morning & evening routines

Daily focus for Monday is the Weekly Bleugh. If Mondays aren't good for you, just do them another day, or over a number of days, it's getting into a routine that makes it easier.

We're in Zone 2 this week, the Kitchen detailed cleaning list here

Today's Mission is to scrub the countertops.

Flight plan for our routines, should update automatically

OP posts:
Castlelough · 08/04/2013 00:28
Engelsemama · 08/04/2013 08:22

Going to start cracking on with my list now once I can drag myself away from MN

SilveryMoon · 08/04/2013 08:28

Morning.
I need to have a better week than last week. Well, the past few days anyway.

to do
up and make beds
Ge breakfast
Clear breakfast
Shower and dress
Swish and swipe
Rubbish out
Check links
Mission/detail
Babystep
Drive to woking to see friend
Laundry
Ironing
Sprt dry clothes
Non iron away
Print stuff for ds1
Cook dinner
Clean kitchen
Hotspots
Play/tidy
Stray item dash
Lay out clothes
Shine sink

Have a good everyone. I'd better get a move on.

Castle I think both those Ellies are the same person Wink

Snowgirl1 · 08/04/2013 08:43

Morning all, just popping in to see what zone we're in and what I should be doing. Hmmm, so it's the kitchen this week - I MUST do some of the missions this week, the kitchen could really do with it.

Ellietryingtofly · 08/04/2013 08:55

Got a busy day planned, facial then trip to the zoo with DD, SIL and the kids.

To do:
SS bathroom
Round up any rubbish around house
Empty dishwasher
Reload dishwasher
Breakfast
Mission (kitchen counters)
Wipe kitchen floor
Dinner
15 min decluttering (although this may only be 5 or 10 mins depending how tired I am later!)
Empty all bins including recycling
Take wheelie bins out
Washing
Put away dry washing

Probably forgotten loads of things to do but oh well! xXx

Louise85 · 08/04/2013 09:02

Had a lovely weekend doing lots of relaxing, including an hour or two in bed with a good book & chocolate Blush ... joined ww last week didn't do any of it, but have started again properly today and started off well. Have sent DH to work with ww lunch as well - hoping he'll also lose a bit!!

In the mood to get some stuff done today, but will see as slept funny so have a crick in my neck & ds is overtired and screaming as I'm trying to get him to sleep....

To Do
Up & dressed - done
Breakfast
Tidy breakfast
unpack DW
get dc dressed & ready
Find address of new tots group & go
Dinner - vegetable curry
beds stripped & redone - 1 bed down 2 to go...
washing in x2
clean washing away
babystep - am keen to start control journal...
mission
tidy kitchen
pack bag for tom
start a proper budget - anyone got a good template/suggestions??
bedtime routine incl long bubble bath Grin

Hope u all hav a wonderful monday!! Flowers

Volare · 08/04/2013 09:05

A new week, a new attempt at flying without crash landing...

Ds is asleep on me. I'll move him to cot and either end up feeding/consoling him for an hour, or:

Dw reloaded
Wm on
Tidy downstairs
Hoover downstairs
Open windows downstairs
15 min declutter

Later:
Take ds to baby yoga Grin
Collect dd from GPS
Buy nappies
Tend to DC in loving, calm, uber-mummy fashion haha
Start to price stuff for nct sale

Here goes...

superfluouscurves · 08/04/2013 09:29

[Waves back to everyone]

Relieved to know housework counts Goth although not doing much of it at the moment

Cheers [hic] to Elliepac - glad all well with you and yours

This thread is getting confusing: two Ellies and two SCs!!

Hope you are OK Bitchy

Had better go, see you all next week!

Engelsemama · 08/04/2013 12:57

Afternoon everyone!

Happy belated birthday elliepac [balloons and birthday cake]

Glad you had a good holiday Blue

ellietrying hope today is a better day for you.

I am making the most of my day off before parents evening and teaching tomorrow.

Ta da
-hoover downstairs
-water plants
-clean glass in door between kitchen and lounge
-lounge hotspot 5 mins
-internet banking
and finances
-order lovely plants books and bird book
-one load washing (in td now)
-put out plastic recycling bags reeady for tomorrow
-tidied out handbag
-dusting in lounge
-cleaned coffee table
-supermarket/C&A (got a bargain jumper for DS..one of the last ones since obviously no one wants to buy jumeprs in the bastard cold spring)/garden centre
-DS fed and in bed
-What's for dinner? ( very classy fish fingers/mash/beans - nop garlic before parents evening!)

Now I have a few hours while DS naps to myself. I SHOULD go outside and sow the sweet pea seeds I just bought and perhaps some sunflowers, and dig over the veg patch ready for some seedlings, but the lure of MN and trashy TV is too much atm.

Volare · 08/04/2013 15:45

louise We use an Excel spreadsheet (DH has done the technical wizardry; I admire its prettiness). It lists all our regular outgoings (gas, elec, c tax etc) and budget for food and 'other'. At the beginning of each month we enter the amount in our bank accounts (once the pay has gone in) and it tracks what is being spent where in theory. I may be too lazy to keep updating it.

Hope everyone is having a productive day, or at least having fun in the naughty corner. A combination of a shortish to-do list, a toddler out of the house and a napping baby (this never happens) means I'm getting stuff done. Need to get off MN before I get sucked in!

mrsbugsywugsy · 08/04/2013 15:46

been away for the weekend so no flying done. today's list

done
washing
swish bathroom
feed cat
up, dressed, breakfasted
take dd to baby clinic
go shopping for birthday presents and buy no presents but buy myself shoes

*to do
shine sink
yoga
express milk
sort parcels for eBay
book car into garage
buy presents online

CHBitchy · 08/04/2013 16:01

Nope two ellies and two SCs are now on the thread. Sorry silvery and sorry for poor goth who is trying to keep track of who is who.

elliepac · 08/04/2013 17:06

Yep sorry for confusing peopleGrin. Me and ellietryingtofly are two different people. If i were to take that approach I would call myself elliemiserablyfailingtoflyafter3feckingyearsbutslightlypastgivingashit Grin

elliepac · 08/04/2013 17:12

And thanks for the birthday wishes engels and cakeSmile. I am going to eat it all tonight as returning home tomorrow and diet restarts in earnest!

SilveryMoon · 08/04/2013 19:40

Blush Whoops Blush
Sorry to the 2 ellies

Had a nice day with a friend of mine. Have spent more than enough time at softplay this half term!

Just eating dinner now, but have done all my jobs today and started on the grouting in the kitchen. I feel an obsession coming on

GoingGoingGoth · 08/04/2013 21:23

1st of all Thanks to Bitchy who appreciates the confusion over all the similar names, it's not like I don't already have form for mixing up Silvery & SC Blush
Elliepac PLEASE don't change to elliemiserablyfailingtoflyafter3feckingyearsbutslightlypastgivingashit
Even reducing it to emftfa3fybspgas is a bit much! Grin

Snow is intending to do some of this weeks missions Grin

EllieTTF went to the zoo, I wish you'd said yesterday, then we could have all sung "Ellie's going to the zoo tomorrow, zoo tomorrow...." No, only me then?

Louise has had a lovely weekend, and is starting ww today. Re the budget, I have a spreadsheet that I adapted from the Martin Lewis Money Saver Expert site. It's good for tracking where the money goes.
Hope your DS settled down eventually.

Volare is starting to fly again, it doesn't matter how many attempts it takes, one day it will all fall into place (well, that's what I'm hoping)
I also like the idea of 'tending' to DCs in a loving, calm, uber-mummy fashion!

Engels is bracing herself for teaching & parents evening tomorrow, would Wine help?

mrs has returned from her weekend away, hope it was fun, and has dived back into flying (dived?flying? Hope the grammar police don't drop in)

Silvery has returned to the grouting obsession, but is in the correct zone this week Wink

I have been brave this week and looked at the detailed cleaning list. So far I have cleaned the fridge, microwave & work tops, don't know how long this will last.

OP posts:
GoingGoingGoth · 08/04/2013 21:29

LINKS FOR TUESDAY 9TH APRIL

Babystep 9 is about decluttering

Daily focus for Tuesday is planning.

We're in Zone 2 this week, the Kitchen Today's Mission is to clean the kitchen bin (yippee)

Flight plan for our routines, should update automatically

OP posts: