Is it October already the fledglings utter? We'll Fly with our broom sticks and start to declutter...

[Slimchance]

If you are strugging with C.H.A.O.S. (can't have anyone over syndrome) and S.T.U.F.F. (something that undermines family fun) then this is the thread where we (loosely) follow the step-by-step Flylady housekeeping system (in our own, unique, relaxed style) with lots of chat, support and and along the way.

This little-and-often system is designed so that you can follow a series of steps and routines each day (which gradually become second nature) in zones of the house which are designated weekly; defining and minimising housework - which in theory should leave you with loads more time to do someting more interesting instead!

At the same time it is intended to reduce that panicky "rabbit in headlights" feeling when you are overwhelmed and everything needs doing all at once. No problem if you miss a day or two; just jump right back in and it will all come around next month again!

We advise not signing up to receive the Flylady e-mails as you will be inundated! All the information you need will be linked here on a daily basis.

From the first of the month, we will be 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.]

More info here on getting started and Flying lessons. Here's the launch pad for more experienced fledglings. Don't be put off by the barf-tastic language of the site - the underlying system is sound!

Humungous thanks to Whoknows for leading us through the tricky start to the academic year ....

All welcome!!

After my productive Tuesday, the rest of the week just plummeted into CBA-itis that I must have caught off Toffee

I tend to blitz the house early in the week (as it gets messed up at the weekends) and then apart from the basics (laundry/sink/shopping etc) I struggle to find any motivation for any "detailed cleaning". That to me is extra housework and I don't really enjoy doing the bare minimum!

But my life is infused with CBA-ness generally. I really need to lose a whole heap of weight, do something with the fabric stash I have, put effort into my relationship with DH, etc etc. Added to this my body clock has gone haywire and at the moment bedtime is generally 3am (or later). This will have to change sharpish though as DD's swimming coach wants her to switch to morning sessions which will involve getting up at 6am!

I also feel that I shouldn't come on here moaning as compared with most of you I have a real cushy easy life. Off now to kick myself into touch so see you all tomorrow

Ooooo Thanks SC

Guess although I am in the north up here, I should really consider stuff that could go flying. There were warnings all over the motorway about high winds being expected later today until about 28th it said (seeing is believing)

Just going to grab some tea and then pass out. My bed is very much calling my name. If it gets any louder the neighbours might start complaining

Hello all, thank you for your lovely posts.

Just seen on BBC news that this bad storm might be as bad as 1987 one. I will certainly feel safer in my home than I did on that night - I was a student nurse and lived on the 7th floor and my bed was banging against the wall because the whole block of accommodation was swaying so much.....definitely thought I was a goner!! I , too will be removing anything likely to get blown around from the garden. I am bunny sitting again at the moment....hope their hutch doesn't get blown about.

I am glad I am not the only one suffering from CBAitis. I have had a manic few weeks with working and just life! Planned a quieter few days and DD1 has arrived home for a week, so, although it is lovely to see her I will book in another "quiet" few days once she has gone back - looking in diary it may have to wait until about January!
One of the jobs that I took on as a small "filler" job has snowballed and I have lots of days booked in over the next 2 months. I do enjoy it on the whole, but I am still hoping for my ideal job to be advertised- hopefully within the next month and if I get chosen then I will start in January, so will give up that one.
One of my other jobs I absolutely llluuuuuuurrrrrrrvvvvvvveeeeeee!!! I am PA to someone that I have worked with over the past 12 years and I love him to bits, although he is the least organised person you would ever meet. DH says I am being paid to be a nag! Apparently I have found my niche in life!

Skype planned with DH in an hours time

No official letter to let me off the hook yet.
Massive waves to everyone and enjoy the half term! Don't forget clocks go back tonight - yay extra hour in bed!

It seems very peaceful outside, only a gentle murmuring of the breeze atm..[spooky silence]
The family have gone off to East Sussex - four years since we last visited and we are going to be surrounded by large trees which are on their last legs...not a good way to spend Monday. Last 1987 storm several of the 200 year old trees in garden collapsed - nature's cull of the old and weary I suppose.

I am here for cat feeding duties and a breather from family life. Dh was determined to take them off for this trip, and I am delighted!!!I suspect I am just going to spend the time catching up with jobs though..the thought of 24 hours uninterrupted by school runs, homework and meals and laundry is curiously energising. The day always seems to be cut in two by tiredness and children returning from school needing love and attention...

Goth no. Very important. Once you say no, you find yes is a positive act not a default setting.

SC thinking back I always enjoyed going to dinner with "older" couples, listening to my 20 year older aunts and uncles converse. They always had interesting things to say and were generally fizzing with ideas and overview foreign travel whereas when you are younger mid twenties you can get very bogged down with just existing, rather competitively in cases, working, children - treadmill which everyone tells you is necessary for survival. What I mean is, you probably are wise rather than wittering, fascinating and erudite rather than out of touch, and comfortable in your own skin rather than edgy twig..

Toffee ds1 (13)who is a bit all over the place, but generally happy surviving teenage life just about was completely MANIC yesterday evening, squawking like a parrot at one stage making weird noises which weren't even recognisable as parrot, screaming he wanted to look at Facebook to play some football league something or other, eating one sausage (I'm not hungry)and then twenty pieces of fruit like some sort of giant combine harvester, then appearing in the most ragged clothes he could find for the journey (although admittedly he looked very cool and handsome [proud emoticon]. So off the rails seems to be very much a half term mode of being... Hope long walk to train station and being made to bivouac will do restore him. Alternatively he may be driving dh potty.

[Tiptoes in, so as not to disturb Bitchy]

Ah Whoknows you beat me to it, love the new nn, was going to go for SlimeChance myself!! [Ponders alternatives ... .]
(Yes it was me who recommended the Usborne book btw - hope you all enjoy it!) And ditto here about work clashing with half term commitments!!

Morning everyone! Certainly very autumnal and blustery here today! DD and dh have been dispatched to the office to do admin and shredding so just diving in to catch up with what you lovely fledglings have been up to in the past couple of days or so... .

Bitchy has been stoking up her special brew, wrestling with her feed dog, tackling spread sheets, icing cakes, dead heading (very Halloween ) and searching for knicker elastic. She has also been reminding all of us what it is like to have a social life .

Following a thorough house blitz at the beginning of the wk, Dizzy has caught a bad case of CBA-itis off Toffee She is definitely not alone when she says she needs to get to grips with lots of different aspects of her life, and that she feels bad for whinging (-in fact I could have written that bit!!). And this thread leader for one strongly suspects that she is being far too hard on herself! .

Blue Toffee and Whoknows have been musing over meteorological reports and battening down the hatches. [Hope you are securing all knobs too Toffee ]

Toffee's ds1 had a close encounter with the child catcher [that performance by Robert Helpmann is one of our all time favourite film scenes btw].

Whoknows and Goth have, at long last, been learning to say "no"

whilst Goth has nonetheless done a three-hour stint as a "helping hand"

and Whoknows has been busy with board games, library books, photo albums, cake-baking, writing up minutes for the PTA and manoeuvering around rescue helicopters.

Blue has achieved a fair bit without even realising it - including the filing [yay!!]

Swan, having got a firm handle on essentials such as food, laundry and hwk, has been visiting friends and calming her ds2's anxieties, and ploughing through a long list of odds and sods besides. [No, sadly, dh is not a publisher. Something much more boring unfortunately. But it does involve wearing robes occasionally and no he isnt a vicar or a drag queen (as far as I know anyway ).

Toffee Goth Blue and Silver have been exchanging swish 'n' and swipe advice.

And Toffee has been on a pub crawl

Silversixpencejoined us and has been battling with the after-effects of decorating and wrestling with rubbish but has tamed her paper monster!

Ellie has been blowing away the cobwebs on the N. Yorks coast [hope caravan well anchored in these high winds!!!]

Honu paid us a welcome visit but was understandably frustrated by the woeful provision for her dh .

Swan's dh has mended the dw! And Swan deserves a merit award for getting to the point where she can now enjoy the morning school drive !

Toffee's ds1 has been so happy about going out that he nearly got grounded [yay!]

I'm relieved to see that Goth's dd only does 'nothing', 'can't remember' and 'basketball' at school because dd majors in those first two as well!

Feetheart has been dealing with the final stages of her building/decorating works - and christened her new shower!

Pushme has also been wielding a paint brush

Jdub has set us all a good example and has started a big pre-Christmas clear out

PA has been tracked down and was still found to be still in the midst of her surreal battle with paper pushers [but don't worry we are still all baking cakes with files in them ]

Engels returned to work and training for her 15k

Castle has left us all agog with her family mystery ... .

Sending all our best to Trazzles and Just and big feathery wing flaps to Jemima Refoca ShakeandVac Kalinka VioletHunter Asheth Polkadot Stillwearing Nicknacks Mercury Shannara Saturn Blueandwhite Picturesinthefirelight MrsFHTC and to anyone else I have missed or who is lurking!

x posts!

Yo PA! We somehow suspected that you were busy with two or three or four new jobs!! Good to hear one of them is really enjoyable too! Also battening down the bunnies at this end! Enjoy your time with dd1!

Swan The calm before the storm, eh? Enjoy your precious 24 hrs of child-free time! And hope all ancient trees in the vicinity of E. Sussex manage to stay upright!

Thank you -wish I had been drunk wise and erudite last night - but was actually very edgy. Still a bit discombobulated by sudden return to full-time work (having "eek, can I still do it? doubts" - so feeling very wobbly and unconfident. And need to be confident because these partic clients mysogynistic highly intelligent and unforgiving.

Also, has been a bit of a stressful week. Dh underwent two rather grim medical procedures involving hideous pipe and tube clearing preparations. (All over with now though and everything fine thank heavens.)

In addition as a bit of light relief, have had to put up with constant noise from mahoosive construction machinery in street - continual juddering. DD had a fine time watching the work-men do a tight-rope act across the entire length of the arm of the crane they were dismantling beneath them in high winds! But in the process of this (running from front to back of house and out in to garden and back again ) I managed to lock us both out, which involved disturbing the caretaker of a building down the road, explaining our predicament in embarrassingly poor Flemish, finding our way through their grounds and lobbing dd over a 7ft wall (she coped remarkably well though I must say!).

Bit worried about our roof if the winds are really strong this time I must admit.

[Muses] the morning after the '87 storm found me wandering around Green Park at 6am, knee-deep in leaves, fruitlessly searching for a bracelet lost the previous evening, along paths strewn with fallen trees and branches, whilst maintenance men with chain-saws stared at me as though I were bonkers... . Ah, happy days ... .

Take care Bitchy if you are driving and keep safe everyone! Enjoy your Saturdays!

P.S. Happy to continue running thread in November if no-one else volunteers (can't do Dec or Jan) but will need cover from this Thurs to Sun when we are away (could set up new thread in advance). Equally happy if someone else wants to take a turn!

I did say I'd do Nov if no one else wants to. Still fretting about the weather. We're booked for 2 days with a hotel in between so if we can get there safely can do the outdoor things on Tuesday when hopefully calmer. DH just keeps saying anything could change before then.

Thank you Blue (apologies for missing that) would be great if you did Nov, if it's still OK with you.

Not surprised you are fretting. Awful predicament. Sod's law isn't it when you have something nice planned. Hope everything turns out OK and safe travelling x

SC - thank you for that wonderful roundup . Sorry you are worrying about work. I know how confidence-sapping it can be to work with much younger people, but Swan speaks good sense.

Swan - you have me worried about old trees in East Sussex now . Funny to hear about your 13-year old DS going a bit crazy too. Maybe the boys are picking up on the oncoming storm?

Dizzy - sorry to infect you with my CBA-itis. I could have written your post about it. I have lost any energy to do anything at the moment, including decluttering house and body.

Am considering trying the online Mu Tu system to shape up. Anyone else done this?

Blue - thanks for doing November thread. Cross fingers for Legoland and good weather.

PA - sorry you haven't had your confirmation letter yet. How lovely to have DD1 back home.

Bitchy - as SC said, keep safe!

Was up early this morning, but then went back to bed at 9 and slept till midday . I have been feeling sleep deprived all week (that may explain the CBAitis), so it was good to catch up. We are going out for dinner with friends tonight, so hopefully I will now be able to string a sentence together and stay awake.

I think I'm a bit all at sea because of DS1 going back to school. When I was home educating him and looking after him at home all day, I knew what I had to do. Now I'm at a bit of a loss. However, I am going to an open day about a possible new career next week and also considering applying for a statement for DS1 to get him the support he needs in school, so will have plenty on my hands soon.

Anyway, DH is taking DS2 out in a minute, so I can get washed and dressed and tackle the house. MIL is babysitting tonight, so I need to tidy up .

(And I left the kitchen spotless last night )

Not surprised you are stressing out Toffee it is a huge adjustment for everyone. Be sure to give yourself some 'transition' time. HAve a lovely evening tonight!

Rabbits seem to be as skittish as teenage boys in this weather. Very funny to see them sitting with their faces to the wind, with the breeze blowing back their long, furry ears. [Bit like wind-sock indicators] [Grin]

Oh dear - my posts only 'green up' when using original name. Might have to revert back!

Who was it who had the NUS card? Bit late notice, but if you happen to be near Aintree, Chepstow, Doncaster, Newbury, Stratford or Wolverhampton (and like horse-racing), you can get in for only £10 today (in honour of student race day).

Think you might have to change back GC - the thread can get very random when the leader namechanges halfway though the month

'Nough said Whoknows

Will have to content myself with a few instead!

Afternoon, quite a productive day here today, DD & I cleaned her bedroom! 3 carrier sized bags of stuff to the bin, 1 for recycling and 3 massive bays of toys taken to the charity shop (we did get wet on walk there and back)

For some reason DH is how sulking & I CBA to find out why. but if someone doesn't say what they want for dinner soon the 2 of them will be feeding themselves!

Will now go off and think of a suitably Halloweenie NC

Have failed miserably at keeping up with thread this week. Have been lurking but feeling a bit preoccupied. Had to go to mw and then onto gynaecologist at hospital on Thursday for confirmation scan as pg tests were still strong. All rather depressing. Thought I was okay emotionally but yesterday definitely was not Feeling brighter today, in part due to my rather impressive (for me) ta da list...

One hour in garden
Delicious homemade dinner (if I do say so myself) of butternut squash soup followed by berry and apple crumble with custard (with extra prtions leftover for freezer/fridge)
Spent an hour sorting out the crap form the dining room table that I shoved form one place to another (exciting tasks completed such as inputting receipts for finances, entered V&D action code so I have a free cup of coffee next time I'm in town, fiilled in parenting questionnaire that I got a few weeks ago, fixed DS's book)
Washing up
Yesterday's wash away
One wash done and in td
15 mins extra tidying of dining room table (DS's birthday presents away, wine bottles into cupboard)

Haven't made it out for a run and also forgot to pop out to get the joint of lamb we were thinking about for tomorrow. Supermarket's are closed here ona Sunday, and anyway, they don't sell lamb here so we were going to the wholesalers which sells them frozen only - they ARE open tomorrow but it won't defrost in time! So will maybe pick one up tomorrow and then I can do it on Monday afternoon since I'm home.

Feel so behind in my training, I know I'm putting off getting my trainers back on as am worried that only have 3 weeks to go and am now very out of shape (and my running partner has just kept on running so she's doing great). I HAVE to go out tomorrow morning!

Sorry for me me me. promise to catch up

Anyone else worried about young DC waking up at the crack of dawn tomorrow? Wondering if I should keep DS up for an extra hour tonight and give him a bath before bed to tire him out.

Poor you Engels. It's more than understandable that you are feeling low. These things can often hit you when you are not expecting it. x

Congrats on humungous ta da list though and sympathies over the lack of Sunday opening - it's the same here - love the quiet but hate the inconvenience! Fortunately, a few artisanal shops and fruit & veg markets are allowed to trade.

Congrats to you too Goth on mahoosive decluttering splurge! [Goth is already fairly Halloweeny isn't it?] Hope your dh cheers up soon.

NB everyone - clocks go back one hour tonight - thanks for reminders PA and Engels.

[Can't advise about early waking Engels I'm afraid because dd up at crack of sparrow whatever time she goes to bed.]

Off to watch Strictly!! Enjoy your evening everyone - on the bar!

So people find that it is best to adjust the sleep pattern by 15mins over a couple days. I am not that organised.

I am sure i wrote a post out earlier but it seems to have evaporated. Thankfully I have ds safe now and although there will be a little bit of travelling it is fairly local and on open roads. The back road out of this place will be shut by the storms by flooding in the very least. Especially as some of the roads i drove on today were already affected by flooding. Monday the car will stay on the drive. fingers crossed it blows itself out and tuesday is back to normal.

Good you and ds are holed up safely Bitchy.

**

Sunday's baby-step, no. 27, for Oct 27th is a good one about planning supper in advance.

No zones or missions because it is the weekend.

We are still clearing paper clutter in Oct.

And Sunday's daily focus is renewing your spirit.

G'night all and enjoy your Sundays ... .

*

**

NB British Summer Time will officially come to an end in the early hours of Sunday. Clocks to be put back 60 minutes at 2am as the UK reverts to Greenwich Mean Time.

[Desperately hope one day to coincide with UK time!]

Engele I'm not surprised your emotions are all over the place together with your hormones, I've been through similar times myself, don't be hard on yourself. No real answers to the clock change thing, we've always totally ignored it, but my DCs aren't particularly early risers.

Just been re-oragnising plans for tomorrow, it is DM's birthday, they were going to come over to us in the evening, we are now going to them in the morning, weather permitting. Just been out in the garden putting a few more things away, never seen it so tidy, it looks huge. Need to go back upstairs and get on with decluttering the master bedroom, it has been driving me mad, and I foolishly emptied the contents of my bedside table all over the bed for sorting out earlier, plus a load of stuff from a basket on the floor. Silly me!