FLYlady followers flock together! Join the May fledglings – our nests we will feather!

[Castlelough]

Welcome to the May 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 and Goth for leading us through since January and for the brilliant OP I've just cut and pasted.

OOps - rather over-did the strikethrough there

-but you get the general idea [sigh].

Goth speed read your list and thought you said you'd hung out the cat

Perhaps a motivational list?

Ta da
put dress making stuff away
make sure ds goes to school with something he will eat for lunch
parcel up present that should have been sent 2 weeks ago
Get folding up to date
get ironing up to date
check what is going on when and where for the rest of this month
consider ex's request to have ds for all of his half term
wash hair
hours soak in very hot bath for sore achy muscles
sort out emails/and other internet stuff
cull a load of frenemies
take rubbish out
disinfect bins
4th load of washing on
make up oat bread dough
find recipe for rye bread
decide tea will be pizza as ham is going off and needs eating asap
drink far too much coffee and wish that could keep drinking proper coffee rather then having had to switch to decaff after the second cup this morning
check ds' training equipment
find flapjack recipe

RIght I suppose I could have a lunch break and then get on with some more stuff. Lack motivation but planning on keep plodding on as there is nothing else that can be done really if I want this chaos taming. I have decided I am very much fed up of chaos and clutter and disorder. Time to kick things into line.

Bitchy and eveyrone else... I've been reading this thread which contains some good tips

I'm tired of the chaos and clutter too...

Sorry, that link won't load for some reason.

It's the thread in Chat titled "How do I become the motivated, organised woman I think I should be?"

Hangover gone thanks! Doris I feel your pain!

Happy birthday to Narky hope you have a nice day.

My morning has disapearred so just catching up now. Had dentist this morning and my whole face is numb but least it stops me scoffing my face.

My ds is just back from caravan with his nana he went down to stay yesterday as she was at a holiday park with my niece for weekend so least he is knackered as its a bank hol here too so no nursery!

Better check the links now and see what I can manage today overwhelmed with house stuff just now :(

Happy birthday narky

We've been at hospital this morning and will be every day for the next 3 weeks, which involves an early start and also getting up at 2am to turn off Joe's feed. Still, I wouldn't change it for the world right now!

DD is sick though so today mainly consists of various loads of washing and me carrying around a sad little monkey who cries if she's passed to DM or put down for more than a second

Is it bedtime yet? Not expecting to accomplish much flying today!

at 'hung out the cat' SC that's one way to keep him outside. He's a strange one, he used to love being outside, and there's a massive communal garden here with trees and 'wild' areas he could play in.

Bitchy a wise woman once posted here that 'tidy is the new normal' wink] I'm still thinking about making that as a huge poster.

Am running out of time before school finishes for the day 3 o'clock FFS but have made a sizeable dint in the CHAOS.

Done
Beds
DD to school
4 loads laundry washed AND hung out
Cleaned cat litter tray,
Took rubbish out
DH & I built IKEA shelf unit without falling out!
Vacuumed & mopped kitchen & bathroom floors
Washed cat bowls & mat, cleaned 'cat food corner'
Installed shelf unit & filled shelves
S&S
Vacuumed bedrooms & hall - DH still doing 'stuff' in lounge
nothing under beds so easy mission
Ironable laundry in

Done lots more but cba to update list.

Goth we actually have it on the wall. Doesn't mean to say it happens but ds did start tidying his room without being asked the other day. Slowly getting the normal away from complete bombsite to tidy. seems like we have to visit every single stage in between though

I am waiting for bedtime and trying not to cave to the wish of coffee so that I will be able to sleep.

Goth don't know anything about cats but similar thing happened to my sister. Her cat used to love going outside, and then all of a sudden, had to be persuaded. She went to vet to check all well (which it was). Vet said cat may have had bad experience or may be just changing preferences as it ages. (Incidentally, have to keep my rabbits away from drying laundry on terrace - else dh's smalls come back inside with strange holes in strange places that weren't there before!) Well done re: keeping chaos at bay.

Hope gums recovering FireandBlood

Goodness Trazzles that sounds incredibly gruelling (night feeds, continuous hospital visits, poorly dd). Can you draft in some practical help?

Congrats on mahoosive ta da list Bitchy

Bit miffed because what was meant to be "dh working for a bit followed by family day out" turned in to "dh working a lot" and then "dh giving dw lots of admin to do at very late notice". Never mind. Tried to tackle my drawers (in both senses) but didn't finish because got involved in dd hwk supervision and EU thread when will I ever learn. Going to step away from the screen and do more Flying tonight once I've finished office work.

Encouraging wing flaps to everyone!

Good evening all
Am loosing the determination for FLYing. Really hope it comes back soon.

Happy birthday Narky hope you?ve had a nice day.
sc will look at that thread you recommend. Love a good old tips thread

I have done most of the routine things today, just cba with the mission or detail. I always get like this during bedroom week!

I went to see my head teacher today about enrolling on a degree, she was very encouraging. I shared with her what my original plan was and where I?d like to see my career go and she said to go back to see her again after half-term when she will be able to have a better conversation with me about it all.
Feel a bit better that I?ve spoken to her about the course I have done (level 4 social care with children and families), the one I am doing now (level 3 supporting teaching and learning in schools) and what I want my next step to be.

This evening I need to do some ironing, and some work on my course.

sc my DM moved in with us when Joe was diagnosed. It brings its own problems but she is invaluable, especially on days like today.

Hope your DD is feeling better Trazzle. We had a 111 A&E over-reaction as well last week. Four hours in a waiting room full of vomiting children and chickenpox we were sent home to 'keep an eye on him'. He is of course fine, but we are still waiting for the chickenpox...

Happy birthday narky, hope it's been a good one

Step away from the coffee Bitchy - hope you get some sleep tonight. Have had a bit too much coffee today myself and not exactly looking forwards to bed time!

I cba on bedroom week either silvery. It's my bedroom and I'll live in a pigsty if I want to

Hello Goth, SC (good luck with the drawers), castle, blue and everyone else that i've missed because I'm posting on my ipad.

Routines done today. Not masses of other stuff though. Need some personal flying this week as I'm going to be my sisters bridesmaid on Saturday and am nowhere near groomed enough for such an occassion! It will have to be home grooming as well as I have no money left after all the presents, shoes and general wedding expenses!

Evening all,

Ta-da!

Morning routine etc
6 loads of washing all dried outdoors (hooray!). I have decided to make more use of the 15 min cycle on my WM and washed two lots of clothes, three cycles each containing the huge fluffy throws off the sofa and armchair and one maintenance cycle with the shower curtain and bleach.
Pilates class
Menu plan and food shopping
Fruitless hour on phone to BT over email problems.
School run etc
Dinner
Took DCs out for cycling on the green / cul-de-sac opposite (both are just learning).

Bulk cooking of pasta sauce for the freezer
Evening routines
Decluttering - I am having one of my periodic big sort outs of all the small toys and returning everything to its rightful home, whilst chucking out as much as I think I can het away with, so have spent an hour or so on that too.

I ventured out on my recently acquired bike for the first time properly today, went to Pilates on it. Only abut 1.5 miles each way but moderately hilly, I suspect I will be walking like John Wayne and struggling to sit comfortably tomorrow.

Silvery - glad talk with HT went well

SC - grrr to all the unexpected work

Fire - whereabouts are you? . We are quite a global thread.

Need to get off and do some OU work now,

Night all.

LINKS FOR TUESDAY 21st MAY

We are now moving into Zone 4 The Master Bedroom. We are decluttering, or detailed cleaning, in this zone for 15 minutes a day.

Babystep 21 is read the Ask Flylady section on the Flylady website.

The Daily Focus for Tuesday is Plan and Play.

Today?s Misson is to declutter your sock drawer!

The Flight plan for our daily routines, should update automatically.

Finally, the habit for the month of May is to get Moving!

Poor efforts here on the flying front I'm afraid. Just dinner and dishes and quick tidy - oh! and piano exam phew! Thank God it's over!

WhoKnows Well done on your list today and for getting back on your bike ? watch the body clutter disappear!
Pushme Enjoy the grooming sessions! Sounds lovely!
Silvery Well done for speaking with your head teacher and getting the ball rolling with regard to your future study choices. Glad you are taking a little rest in your nest ? your usual routines/lists are enough to wear me out just looking at them, without adding missions etc in to the mix!
SC Hope you got through the homework. You poor DD gets so much homework! I rarely give Religion homework ? a few times a year, and it will be instead of some other usual piece of writing/learning. Leaving you a to cheer you up xx
Trazzles Glad to hear you have your DM at home with you for support. Hope DD picks up soon, and hugs for little DS.
Fireandblood I?m glad the hangover haze has lifted!
Bitchy Great list ? what are you making (dress-making)?
Toffee Hope you enjoyed tea with your friends.
Narky HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hope you?ve had a lovely day xx
Blue Hope you got on well with the Power of 15!
Waves to Engels , Swan , PositiveAttitude, Just , Honu , Doris , JDub, MrsBodger , Foundachopinlizt , Newbie and Fireandblood.

My sock drawer is tidy . The rest of the drrawers are not though so should really swap, but I doubt that I will

I already cba with today. Was woken every hour or so be ds sleep singing beatles songs

To do
Routines
Fold laundry
Write letter to solicitor re pay
Book time off for DD settling in.
Quick bedroom declutter
Don't spend money! (Did finances yesterday and ouch!)

Have a lovely day everyone

LOST!

One cleaning mojo. Last seen heading to can't be arsed valley via sod it mountain...

Seriously have a complete lack of desire to do anything. I know what needs to be done, but (and TMI here!) I'm at that bit of the month where everything is just way too much hassle. I'm supposed to be taking DS out to toddler gymnastics later this morning, but I'm seriously considering just not . I mean, I know I will, but just the thought is making me want to head for a duvet.

I think I need to set up a control journal - and as I'm at work tomorrow with pretty much diddly squat to do (which is a whole other issue) I may start setting up my Home Routines app for my phone and then printing stuff out and laminating it. But that may just be my stationery fetish talking

Anyway, I must go and to the work people are actually paying me for - and stop mucking about on MNet. If you see me still here later, can you kick my arse? Ta muchly!

Joining pushme in the smug corner but only because drawers were new last Monday and even DH can't make that much mess in a week

Doris I love our laminator. Hope you find your mojo.

Done
Beds
Dd to school
2 loads laundry washed

To do
Hang out laundry
Put 3rd load in machine (last load planned for today)
Yesterday's ironing
Paperwork

Hope you all have a lovely day.

Why have I got ads for Karcher hoovers over half my Mumsnet screen this morning? . It's very annoying and distracting. Do you all have this, or is it just me?

Anyway, have too much to do, but am trying not to worry about that and focus on just working little and often.

Incidentally, I didn't lay the clothes out last night. As a result, this morning, I was charging round the house looking for clean school trousers for DS2. Disaster. And he had to wear odd socks too .

Ta da :

DS2 up and to school on time
Breakfast
Checked emails
Big cuddlefest with kitten
Room rescue - sitting room
Hoovered sitting room and hall
Wiped dusty stairs

To do :

Try to stop being distracted by kitten playing (very sweet and funny)
Washing up
Spray carpet cleaner on black marks on sitting-room carpet (appeared just one week after we had the carpet cleaned )
Room rescue dining room
Hoover dining room and kitchen
Tidy and wipe kitchen counters
Washing on
Ironing????
Swish and swipe in bathroom
Home ed - Biology and Maths
Application form for DS1's new school
Lunch
Friend here for tea
School run
Don't forget Pilates class (remembered it 24 hours late a couple of weeks ago )

Hope everyone has a good day.

Oh, and now my screen has shrunk to half the size on my screen. What's going on?

What browser are you using Toffee?
I did have this and downloaded Adblock (I use Chrome) to sort it out - nothing on the mobile site.

I have this also Toffee it is ridiculously annoying. Enough almost to start a thread going wtf HQ?

I did sleep. when ds wasn't awake (up several times last night) Looking forward to an early night tonight!

solutions to the flashing adverts in IE would be appreciated!

Well as IE is one of the most unsafe browsers about, and way slower than Chrome Bitchy, I'd download Chrome and use that instead .

My husband is in IT and IE is only known as the best browser to download another browser with

I've got it too on Firefox and its horrible - very distracting and threatening to set my migraine aura thing off so I may not be on for long (I get a very visual aura that seems to be triggered easily at the moment :()
Is there a thread yet?

Toffee - snap re not laying out clothes last night. Ended up having to blow-dry a sock for DS as well as press trousers :)
And there is only him and I here this week

Will catch up when the Karcher thing has gone.