Remember, remember to Fly through November, but Fledglings will chatter a lot

[BlueEyeshadow]

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 SlimChance for leading us through October and such a copy-and-pasteable OP....

All welcome!!

Engels Fingers crossed for you the numbers continue to drop. we conceived DD on Xmas Day and that was after a loss earlier in the year

Ellie My DH would do - or not do - the same! It woudnt occur to him to look around and see what needed doing!

Today has been a day of little jobs

• DH to station (at a seminar and posh lunch in London!)
• DD to school
• Sewn a set of coasters as contribution to Xmas Fayre Craft table
• Supervised DD baking and decorating a cake for DH (its his birthrday)
• Baked a banana loaf and a new recipe Apricot Melba Struedel loaf
• Baked rock buns (for school fayre)

DD and I are up at 6am for swimming so I had better try and get some sleep!

Good morning everyone!

Good luck at the dentist today Toffee!

Angry sorry you have a sinus infection, which sounds really painful. Hope you recover soon!

Ellie yes, agree with everyone, get to that caravan girl!!! - You deserve a weekend away from all the stress.

Sorry to hear you are back in hospital Sillbilly

Just hope lawyer could offer a decent strategy + some hope

Big wing flaps to everyone else!

Hope everyone OK. Have pig of a day ahead + school soiree (for which I haven't baked yet) so may not get back on here today. Added to which, there seems to be something wrong with my computer mouse which is making scrolling up and down rather difficult, so apologies for very brief/spare personal messages.

***

Baby-step no 29, for Fri 29th November is adding the weekly pamper mission to your routines and remembering that it took Flylady at least nine months of building routines to get her house to run smoothly.

We are at the end of our week in Zone 5: the sitting room (Nov 24 – 30). More info here.
Declutter in this zone for 15 mins every day!

Once Zone 5 is clear of clutter, you can go on to detailed cleaning.

The last mission of the week is a thorough hoover of the sitting room.

Friday is the day we declutter our handbags and cars.

The habit for November is still menu planning.

And today's flight plan provides a summary of the above.

Keep going everyone!! As Flylady says "Anything you do today is better than it used to be!"

**

Sorry Engels missed you out! Good luck with blood test results

Thanks dizzy , slim et al. I know that things will move on, and most of the time I feel okay about everything, but everytime I have to go back to the hospital it drags me back down a little. Watching Bambi with ds right now to cheer myself up and may pop to playground soon for a run around.

ellie you are doing a fucking difficult job, hod to boot, with kids, with a dh who is working all hours..you're not superwoman. You can only do what you can do. Enjoy your weekend and don't feel guilty. Look after YOU (because if you don't, no one else will).

silly hope dc is okay.

I managed to get out for a run last night, followed by a lovely shower and face mask. My awesome new vi tage style dress arrived (with string of fake pearls and matching earrings) and looks gorgeous on so will be wearing to work on Tuesday. Thank you DH (I was alivating over website on Tuesday night7ght and he told me to go ahead and count it as my Christmas present from him...now just my birthday to deal with ).

To do in house
Washing up
Washing
Hoover
Tidy lounge/kitchen
CleR up under stairs
Garden...put up some bird feeders

To do out of house
Playground
Supermarket

Engels you do know we want a picture of this dress?

Good luck at the dentist today Toffee is it the root canal work. (getting confused over who's having what done) I've got a sympathetic mouth ulcer this morning but not complaining, as it could be so much worse

Done
Beds
Windows
Dd to school
Shopping
Laundry on

To do
Dry laundry away
Ice chocolate cookies
Refuse out
Vacuum lounge
Collect DD
Get ready to go out
Have an evening wine tasting, with other MNers!

I actually slept last night. And now i feel confused and bewildered and not exactly sure where I am or what i am doing. this sleep thing is dangerous.

ta da
seek the advice of a wise one!
Sort out a whole heap of registration stuff that isn't working
eat enough sweets to cause a sugar rush
update calendar for next month

I need a list i think. and more coffee. def more coffee

Morning all - quick list dump from me.

Ta-da!

School run with mufti clothes, donations for tombola, costume for class assembly, item for freecycling to another parent.

Stay for an hour to help gather, check expiry on and label tombola items
Vacuum round downstairs - vacuuming workload has definitely increased since arrival of cats
Feed cats
Book car for service
Book chimney sweep
Tinker with heating - still not quite right but plumber coming next week
Enquiries about private OT for DS
Update calendar
Think about dinner
Put washing on

To do:
Christmas shopping
Write and post birthday cards
Lunch
Back to school at 2.30 for assembly
Home
Dinner
Get DD into another costume for drama group performance tonight and drop her off for rehearsal. Then go back an hour later for the show.

DD's head is going to be spinning, as well as class assembly and drama group show, school are doing a full run through of their Christmas performance this afternoon.

What an exhausting start to the day, with DS2 having to be at the doctor by 8.30, then up to school, then me at the dentist by 10. Anyway, everything went fine and the root canal work (thanks for remembering, Goth, and yes, that was me) was painless. I was still very glad when it was all over though.

Had to rush back from the dentist for DS1, who had come home early because he was so upset that his so-called best friend had ignored him in a lesson again. He hasn't spoken to him since he returned to school . DS1 has shrugged it off so far, but today he was really upset, which in turn upset me. I have actually texted the boy's mum to ask if we can have a chat. Am feeling a bit tiger-mum about it. I hate seeing DS1 so upset and hurt.

Am allowing myself some MN time on the sofa now, then MIL is coming round for her birthday tea later.

Today it has all gone wrong. I need vast quantities of chocolate and instead I have a nearly 5hr round trip I am about to go drive. Tomorrow is going to be better, no?

Yes, it will be, Bitchy .

Whew. Painting the baseboards done. I am officially worn out, but that means the room will look much nicer once the Christmas tree is up and decorated (and the elf door put at the now white baseboard). I love it when a plan comes together.

Now I've just got to wait for it to be dry enough to put the edge of the carpet gently back down. And then I'll be happy. MIL coming over for a visit tomorrow, so I want it to look nice.

Now I can relax a bit and have some and make a list out for tomorrow. I meant to stop at Waitrose today and pick up tinned pumpkin and I forgot! no pumpkin pie for me. To coin a phrase.. "we are not amused."

I guess it just gives me an excuse to pop over there next week and have a coffee (free with my waitrose card, of course) and pick up a few things. They have some lovely Christmas decorations and food.

Good evening /good morning. Quiet on here today!

Just dipping in briefly to rest my stumps and post the links - be back tomorrow to catch up with everyone!

*

Baby-step no 30, for Sat 30th Nov is checking the calendar for important upcoming events.

No zones or missions because it is the weekend thank heavens!

Saturday is the day on which we have family fun.

The habit for November is still menu planning.

And today's flight plan provides a summary of the above.

Enjoy your weekend one and all!

**

Ta-Da

• Up early to take DD to swimming training
• DD to school along with donations for Xmas Fayre
• Pop to shop to get some bread/milk etc
• D/W emptied
• Change spare bed
• S/S x 3
• R/R x 2
• Washing load on and hung to dry
• DD to swimming training
• Make tea
• Wash pots and shine sink

Sister and BIL are here tomorrow as we are off to the rugby for DH's birthday treat.

Goth - just seen the news and thought of you, hope you and your loved ones are safe and well this morning. What a terrible, terrible thing to happen.

Just popping in. I have had a headache since yesterday morning, (so no flying done here at all) making me miserable. I am hardly ever ill, so it has knocked me for six. Especially as I seem to be into the third week of not feeling well. Hopefully it will sort itself by tonight, our first childless night in years!!!

Goth - I second what WhoKnows said. Such sad news.

Angry - sorry you are feeling ill, especially with a childless night coming up. Are you going out tonight or just enjoying a quiet night in?

dizzy - hope you enjoy the rugby today.

Was out with a friend last night and I may have drunk a little too much wine and gone to bed too late, so DH let me sleep in this morning . Today is his turn to have some time out with friends, so I'm at home with the boys. Have been out this morning (had my flu jab) and am taking the boys out to the skate park later, then stocking up on food on the way home.

Flying 'to dos' include:

Flight plan
Taking box of old clothes to charity shop
Shopping

Hope everyone is having a good day.

Thanks for your good wishes, we are all fine, but went into the city to give blood.

Had an late start do a night out wine tasting, so didn't even see the news until lunch time.

Will be back later to start December's thread.

Hello everyone

Glad you are ok Goth. Never a good time for that sort of accident to happen, but particularly awful at this time of year somehow.

Sorry you are feeling rough Angry hope you felt better as the day went on

Hope you have a great time with your sister and bil Dizzy

Arf at elf door Alice

Hope you survived your trip Bitchy

Whoknows hope all of your dd's rehearsals and performances went well! And that you managed to get some OU study done.

Engels your vintage style dress sounds fab! YOu really deserve a pick-me-up too!

Glad the dentist went ok Toffee. It is good to know that painless root canal work can be a reality. Hope ds1/friend situation sorted.

Huge waves to everyone else I've missed!!

Another one who had a tad too much last night although in reality I didn't drink very much, I just don't seem to be able to tolerate it as well nowadays old saddo emoticon. Actually, to be accurate, I actually drank more when we got back than when we were out. (Had gone to a school do with all the other parents in dd's class.) After lots of general discussion, made the mistake of saying to dh on the way home, "I was the fattest woman in the room wasn't I?" To which he replied [laughing], "perhaps not the fattest but certainly the most unfit" . [It was then I took to drink ]

Added to which, the home of our hosts (who have 7 dc) was absolutely immaculate, with not a thing out of place. I was terribly admiring of her because she entertained 26 of us as though it was the easiest thing in the world; everything was organised to a tee but in a very calm, relaxed manner, so you didn't notice ifyswim. Came home to my cluttered, dishevelled "structure" of doom that masquerades as a house, containing just one child (+ baby-sitter), and wondered what on earth I have been doing with my life ... .

Meant to be going out again tonight to a friend's birthday party but dd just refuses to go to sleep when a baby-sitter is here and waits up for us expectantly. We've tried bribery and everything! So can't risk her doing that for a second night running when she's still recovering from a chest infection so dh will be going on his own.

So today I have:
recovered from last night
watched Channel 4 racing
done some more school/house research
done a bit of actual house hunting ie driving around relevant streets and followed it up on-line
shopped for wrapping paper (woeful selection here) without success
did big supermarket shop
bought friend a birthday present
fed etc next door neighbour's cat while they are away
supervised dd hwk

And yesterday's ta da list:
finally, finally cleared floor and surfaces of boudoir so cleaner could clean! Yay!
Made 58 mince pies and two more lumps of pastry which went wrong
next door neighbour's cat

That was it really!

Handing the thread over to Goth now together with:
lace up shoes
tan tights
fairy wings
purple feather duster [barf emoticon]

and a large bottle of vodka [now you're talking]

Well done for Flying through the month everyone!
Have a great evening!

December thread

Not saying I'll be this organised for the rest of the month.

Oh sc I cannot believe your DH said that to you. I would be and in equal measure I think. And I HATE people who make things look so easy...Our garden is practically a building site and has been sicne long before I moved in and our house is stuffed to the rafters with crap.

Am also hitting the booze tonight. We have no wine in the house so I'm drinking my 2nd beer of the evening.

Have just tried on my new dress (in oeace and quiet finally - another drama getting DS to bed) with the works - red lippie which I never wear , black stilletos which I never wear and the pearl necklace and earrigns I got to go with it.

DH was

And just for you Goth, it's this one topvintage.nl/nl/vintage-retro/retrolicious-bridget-bombshell-dress-polka-bow

Was hoping to watch Doctor Who (have just got up to Captain Jack) but DH has managed to find a dire Dutch music quiz programme while I was getting changed and is hooked (and that's why I'm on MN!)

Hope you're feeling better angry for your child free night and that you've 'recovered' toffee

bitchy if sleep confuses and bewilders you please send it to me. I could do with a bit of confusion and bewilderment right now

Ta da
Sinterklaas #2 done and dusted (DS was not nearly as embarrassing)
Hoovered downstairs and the bits of the cellar DH has cleared
Washing-up
Made a blue cheese and caramelsied onion tart for dinner

Mt plan for tomorrow is to go for a run, make sure DS gets outside either while I tidy the garden or up to the playground, sort washing and enjoy some stoofvlees (Dh's turn to cook!).

Engels - fabulous dress!

SC I would interpret that as a flirtatious comment . Still warrants a deathstare
I've just been watching Before Midnight with Ethan Hawke and Julie Delphy - what a nightmare....looks all our marriages look thoroughly functional in comparison.

Exciting thought to move house and avoid all renovations and leave them to someone else! But then exasperating to walk past and realise it had taken someone else only 6months (and a sledgehammer and £££££) to achieve what we never managed

I bet the lady with 7 dcs had a faithful housekeeper and no leaks.

done
aubergine parmigiana
slack parentingon the homework, nothing much achieved
tidied clothes away in my bedroom
tidied kitchen
made cake, ate most of cake
dd spent the whole day at a friend's house miles away

and I achieved what for me was an impossible dream of actually driving to her school to drop her in the area, as it was so quiet first thing and she was late. Feel very very chuffed, and I must practise it again at quiet times (ie: not school run) I have NEVER managed to drive to her school before, too frightened!

Ds2 also managed something unusual which was to invite a new friend round for lunch from football(arranged last week). Not at same school though, this seems to make things "easier" in a funny way. He also has ASD, although I wouldn't have known this except that the visitor announced this to us at lunch, when he was talking about classrooms and explaining he had problems with fidgeting in school as a result of his ASD. So polite and friendly. Ds2 problem is that he makes new friends and then tires of them if they don't do what he wants Possibly it is quite exhausting for him to be host for a long time.

Toffee very difficult to know what to do. A friend of mine has a son who actually sent my daughter an offensive text, although there is a backstory which slightly excuses him. I told dd to write a text back in no uncertain terms telling him off, but I decided I personally had to stay out of the discussion, and not ask his mother what was going on. I suspect she knows, so we talk in a very coded manner about how our children are managing school etc, funny stories, just to remind each other that they are after all only 11. It is very difficult to keep silent, but I thought the best thing was try and give dd the strength to show the son it was not appropriate to be bullied, and to let her know she could let me know if anyone said anything bullying to her. I will see what happens next. I can see how easily this cyber bullying starts and if in doubt they blame it on someone stealing their phone or using their phone without their consent. I am SOO glad ds1 does not use a phone he would be v vulnerable.

Needed to finish tidying the house this morning so Ta-Da list was:

• Swept and mopped kitchen floor
• Hoovered through downstairs
• Emptied kitchen bin
• Misc bits lying around moved somewhere out of the way!
• Chivvied DH and DD to tidy up their messes
• Nipped to Post Office

We then had a lovely day out. It was DD's first time at a rugby match and the atmosphere was great especially as she got her face painted and met the team mascot! We then went for a curry so no washing up tonight

DD is off for a trip with the Brownies in the morning so have got her packed lunch organised and as it is 1st Dec. left out her advent calendar and new for this year an Elf on the Shelf!

Unfortunately I think dh was spot on with what he said (however difficult to hear) but ah, very nice to come on here and find comforting comments! Thanks eveyrone!

Swan Gosh, I think you are being remarkably tolerant and wise with regard to text message incident, as even when it is the right course of action, it is incredibly hard where ones dc are concerned, to stand back (having offered guidance) and let things take their course. Hope other family is being equally gracious. And fabulously well done re: the driving!! Aubergine parmigiana one of my all time favourites, so you have inspired me to make it this week.

Engels Love the dress! It is incredibly elegant! (Like the look of those land-girl trousers on that site too, although unfortunately I am far too old and porky for them now!)

The rugby sounds great Dizzy!

Waves to Whoknows and eveyrone else!

Going over to Goth's spanking new thread now ...

The smoke alarm was beeping at us with a failed battery, another of my worst anxieties as it once woke us in the middle of the night and we didn't know how to solve the problem and had to employ an electrician and his stepladder. This time, Sunday evening as one might expect, when all shops closed and no electricians available or what we thought was the right voltage of battery dh and I struggled with screwdrivers and what we thought was wrong sort of battery (one of those strange rectangle ones with funny bits on the end). We could not get the cover to budge Short of smashing it, or pulling ceiling down, Dh announced we would just have to put up with the beeping until an electrician came tomorrow . But I was DETERMINED, and managed to unstick and slide the cover off with a serious cricked neck!. And the beeping has stopped for another eight years Feel extraordinary proud of myself...we are so pathetic at DIY... it makes us happy when we can manage the smallest victory!

otherwise, constructed a homemade greenhouse out of shower screen and some of that stuff you make plastic roofs out of. 'twill do for now.
Took geraniums out of pots and put in greenhouse with minimum soil to overwinter
Made parkin of my own devising with soda bread mix and oats
Homework struggles
washed up loads
wiped kitchen down
ds2 went to drama
Dd did a powerpoint on Particles (unaided)
forced dh to take boys for walk
sorted out firewood in the woodshed and filled the coal scuttle
washing x 2
recycling in big sack