December already! Fledgings will sleigh the pre-Christmas clutter (and eat all the mince pies)

[GoingGoingGoth]

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 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!

Thanks to BlueEyeshadow and SlimChance for the November thread.

All welcome!! And remember that December is the new January!

Oh dear, tis the season, lots of people on here who are ailing, or who have poorly dc. Hope you all feel better soon!

Oh no Whoknows poor dd and poor you [hands over large bottle of Dettol]. I hope she recovers soon. And many congratulations to your ds on his story-writing success! YOu have every reason to be proud!!!

Goth another brill round-up thank you!

Sorry to hear you and ds are under the weather again Pushme - all that driving must be exhausting - never mind doing the work!!!

Alice and Dizzy sorry you are going through such stressful times x

at your amazing list Toffee!! You are inspiring me to get stuck in again today.

Glad you are feeling a bit better Paintbox!! Take it steady!

Big waves to eveyrone else!!

[puts head in hands]

I've tried really hard to be organised this year but Christmas is running away with me ...

And had to come down very hard on dd yesterday to get her to do even a tiny bit of exam revision. She did it - eventually - but only after a lot of shouting on both of our parts. Feel awful about it. As the adult, I really, really, should be managing this better but I had already tried five types of nice ad infinitum without success.

She seems to focus on one small bit of the revision (usually a not terribly pertinent bit) to the exclusion of everything else and then resents it deeply when I try to help her with the bigger picture/prioritising etc.

She has such a stubborn streak and so does her mother - it is exasperating!! We did reconcile and ended up watching telly together in bed at the end of the day. But all this stress can only be fuelling her anxiety . She's gone off this morning to face an entire day of exams: nl spelling x 2 , science, and Fr grammar and conjugation today. Tomorrow is nl conversation, vocab and comprehension then geometrie. Monday is nl reading, history, geography, and maths (problem-solving). Poor thing. Going to make her favourite tray bake for her return.

As for Flying, I have a list as long as my arm, at the top of which is written, yet again, 'home office' - enough said.

However, I've just been buoyed up by the receipt of a Christmas card with a lovely accompanying letter from an old friend with whom I thought I had lost touch/offended - turns out she is just as disorganised as me! Phew! So feeling much more cheerful now!

Have a good a day as possible everyone!

Thank goodness for this thread, it always makes me smile and commiserate in equal proportions

done
nothing - Dh let me sleep in till ages and managed to get all three children off to school by himself
low carb breakfast/coffee
Big Beavers rehearsal last night - I got it wrong it wasn't the real thing
shepherd's pie x 2 (one now eaten)

NOW
going to once over grubby kitchen
once over grubby utility
unload both dws
put away all clothes and leave batch out for cleaning lady to iron tomorrow
TACKLE MY BEDROOM! it is now reached the point of no return

PS. Still nothing prepared for Christmas in this house at all! (2 presents?) However, my piece de resistance is a whole batch of Xmas cards I should have sent last year which never got delivered (by hand) so I can just reuse all them ha ha ha

And we have still the joy of finding Christmas tree from somewhere.

Dh is working less hard this week since his parents left (he finished a big batch of work before they came to visit) so hopefully things will slowly come together.

DD has a big concert tonight..because I slept in I am actually looking forward to it

Whoknows I am so pleased for your ds. Hope dd recovers soon, at least it is over BEFORE Xmas.

SC revision nighmare oh dear. Is she someone who learns better talking than reading through, or maybe in future mind maps or such like, or quizzes. Ds1 is hopeless at revising. He really doesn't understand what is expected of him and refuses to read things through at all. But he does learn by quizzes. It appears that endlessly repeating questions and answers cements the info in his head, whereas you might think that talking through the information would make it stick better, but it doesn't. I was brilliant at remembering stuff for exams that I had talked through, made into stories, but not so good at quizzes or rote learning. And I'm still rubbish at all languages except possibly Latin - which shows that learning things off in lists doesn't work for all.

Morning. i have definitely caught ds' virus am starting to lose my voice now and it is not from shouting for a change. I suspect I shall get to sunday, when i can stop and sit down during the day, and that will be it and poorly sick i shall be :(

Ds is starting to feel better and walking around the house like a crazy person and driving me crazy.

Tons to do today so going to dose up on pain killers and get on with it all. Early night is the plan but as I have miles to drive tonight then I suspect that I shall be late. Ah well, will have to see what happens.

ta da
figure out all the kitchen appliances were off cos the fuse had blown and deal with it
boil up hand warmers in progress
speak to ex at length re ds and christmas plans
cut up tons of fruit for making allergy friendly mince pies for ds
leave fruit to simmer down to a pulp, stirring occassionally in progress
Put load of washing on

I think i need more coffee and an iced drink for my throat.

Oh dear Bitchy hope your painkillers work.

Poor DD SC and poor you, what a lot of pressure on at such a young age.

Swan - how very green of you, re-using last years cards!

Well, a lazy morning here. DD hasn't been sick since about 8.30, fingers crossed she's over the worst. DS went off to school on his own, it's so much easier now he is old enough to either be left for 20 mins if it's him that's unwell, or go on his own if it's DD. Chimney sweep's been.

Ta-da!

DW etc done in kitchen
Litter trays de-pooped
Kitchen tidying up and fed Christmas cake with sherry
Vacuum round downstairs (cursorily)
Our bed stripped and sheets put in wash

Off to check DD's mattress next, it is leaning against a radiator covered in bicarb. Then a bit of tidying upstairs and maybe the ironing. I'm more ahead with Christmas this year than usual but it's at the expense of the tidiness of the house.

ta da
Not much really.
Coffee with another friend. (feeling very social butterfly-ish now - coffee two days in a row)
Checked bank.
Put out recycling.
Put away washing up from last night.
Stripped DCs beds.

to do
Everything. Seriously. Everything.

Managed 20 mins of tidying upstairs when DD came up to find me and promptly threw up again . That's no school tomorrow either then. She is looking very pale and washed out now. I'm giving up on the chores and just going to sit with her I think, got a big pile of magazines to go through and tear out recipes etc from.

Oh dear - poor poorly fledglings....we are a right bunch....

I'm in bed ill now....DS went back to school today.

House. Is. Utter. Tip.

Hope other poorlies are managing to bear up...

Ps going just seen your link to the holiday control journal. This is the kind of thing that gets my juices going.

Why oh why do I love reading & making lists more than I like picking things off the floor?

Tada

Sent long control freak message to work
Sent DH to ikea with instructions to buy another gingerbread house & those green marzipan choc things,plus anything cheap and Christmassy
Done some shopping from literary gift co from my sea of tissues

ta da
figure out all the kitchen appliances were off cos the fuse had blown and deal with it
boil up hand warmers
speak to ex at length re ds and christmas plans
cut up tons of fruit for making allergy friendly mince pies for ds
leave fruit to simmer down to a pulp, stirring occassionally until a tasty mush
Put load of washing on
deal with a feeling better but not completely better ds
internet admin
sort out a lot of stuff wrt to ds' training
Shower and up
get ds making a cake so i can get on with some stuff
Start packing ds' stuff
Keep an eye on the time

Ok, though I would catch up with the thread (been absent for 2 days) before commenting and 40 minutes later...

I hope all that are poorly get better quickly. Tuesday, I went to doctor for DS5 earache and me. I was sent to hospital for a blood test, 2 hrs later emerged out the otherside. So limited flying done, also decide this week I would be in bed by 9 (7.30 on last Sunday). In hope to feeling better, thankfully I have!

Yesterday, I put up the Christmas decs and tree up at last. Also wrapped most of the presents.

The one thing I must sit down and do. Is workout menu for Christmas eve (14) and Christmas day (11). We are expected to provide everything, cook it and clear up (been doing it for the last 15 years)!! This year I decide to give this as part of their present to them (I have tried delegating before but it just caused more work for me).

Dizzy & Toffee I use to buy all the present (and wrap them) for all my boys and dh from DM, Mil, fil and GP x2. I stopped this, last year as it was just too much. And dont miss it at all!

Sorry, got to go... school run, will catch up more later...

Oh bugger

Was just congratulating myself on a job reasonably well done (smug emoticon] as after several tortuous hours, can now see home office floor - yay!. Discovered that a lot of the clutter was old computer/camera/screen boxes (empty) that dh had just dumped in here. Typical! He couldn't be bothered to recycle them or store them up in roof! Anyway, still loads of filing and boxes of cr*p of mine to go through but much better (mind you, landing and boudoir now wrecked again!).

It was a particularly filthy job. If you recall I had just marshalled all the boxes ready for sorting/filing at the start of the academic year when they all got moved/covered in chimney ash and brick dust owing to chimney sweeping nightmare/miscalculation! So will be having my second bath of the day in a minute.

Anyway, just this second finished clearing my desk when I looked around and saw that there was no key in the present cupboard. It had definitely been in there earlier - I was stashing/re-arranging presents early this morning - in fact I have been in there several times during the big sort.

I just know I have had key in one hand and probably items for rubbish or recycling in other (or something to file away in different drawer or box) and have mixed the two up (I do this all the time). So now I have to empty every bag of rubbish and sack of paper recycling and search every box I have opened today to find it ... or dd will be without half her presents this Christmas ... about 20+ to go through ....

... bum and double bum and oh yes ... bum

Oh bum SC.

Oh no slim

Can you just burst the lock? Are they wrapped inside? If so could you just push it under the tree, & wrap a hacksaw next to it?

Oh, SC. That's not fair .

So sorry for all the poorly fledglings and mini-fledglings today.

I have a long, long list, but no time to post it. So will just say:

Ta da

Sorted whole house (with help of lovely cleaner)

To do

Dinner
Delegate bedtimes to DH
Smarten up
Make mulled wine
Heat up snacks
Welcome friends

Hello all! Would like to join in if ok. Just getting over a bout of illness and need to get back on it!

Hello TSASE

Had a good day today, but this has been helped with the boys this week as they compete to get the most points. My skirtings,door handles, window sills etc have never been so clean .

Silly waiting to hear all the details on FC.

WhoKnows lovely to hear about your DS's proud moment. Hope your DD gets Well soon.

Swan love your Beaver show mistake, that is something I would do. I have 4 different performance to cover over the next week, undoubtably I will turn up to the wrong one or miss one somewhere along the line!

Anyway, off to bed for another early night. Hope you all (& little ones) wake up illness free. I have a Flying free day tomorrow as I catch up with a old friend in Cambridge and then onto the Kids Rugby Christmas party! WooHoo!!!

LINKS FOR 13 DECEMBER 2013

*
Babystep 13 is to start the missions

This week we are in Zone 2 Entrance, Front Porch and Dining Room. Detailed cleaning list for those that can be bothered are here

Sneak Peek for the week's missions, today's is to sweep and mop the kitchen floor.

Friday's focus is Declutter your purse and car day

December's monthly habit is Pampering.

Flight Plan for today.

*
Christmas Holiday Cruise Mission 10 is to wrap and decorate!!! 15 minutes wrapping presents then 15 minutes decorating. (I'm still holding out until the 21st so will have a bumper wrapping session )

TossedSalad Welcome! Don't overdo it coming off of an illness. I've made that mistake - it wasn't pretty.

SC Oh no! Did you find the key yet?

Just really one thing after another around here. My list for tomorrow is going to be just ridiculous.

Remember that empty laundry basket I was so pleased with? It's overflowing now. TWO DAYS LATER!!

A friend is coming over to help me finish up the Joseph thing and make it look presentable. Then it's errand day, along with al the other things I have to do. Better get my sleep now while I can.

SUMMARY

Paint is getting better now don't overdo it and set yourself back.

Toffee also has a new dress so where's the picture.
Love that you collected greenery for your wreath, am now wondering if we can get away raiding our local park. And yes, that's a Bitchy list

dizzyday got her tyre fixed and has achieved an entente cordiale with her DH.

Silly is busy, so we'll have to wait a little longer for details of the great man. Hope DS is ok.

PMPY has been driving a lot, and is poorly again, as is Bitchy OddSocks and WhoKnow's DD

rowing good luck with the Flying at work.

SC has a stubborn DD hope the revision improves. The home office must be getting better, you've put so much work in. Hope the key has turned up. Would it be worth just attacking the lock/getting a locksmith in?

Swan got a lie in and has an excellent waste minimisation tip - only send cards every other year Good luck with the tree search

Alice has been out again

Has the earache gone now Angry? Wish I could get to bed that early. And hosting that many over Christmas should definitely class as a present. Could that the DSs helped with the cleaning. Have fun tomorrow.

TossedSaladsAndScrambledEggs Welcome to the madhouse, don't try to do everything, just pick up the steps as we do them, it will all start afresh in January.

I finished my Christmas shopping today! I got 'the twitch' so DD has an additional make a dragon craft set, a little nodding tortoise and 2 tshirts

Hi Tossed or TSASE .
SillyBilly Glad you got to see FC.
Swan congratulations!
Hope to catch up with everyone over the next couple of days.

I haven’t done anything for over a week, but not been at home last few days.
GC who was expected at Christmas/NY, well… her mums health started deteriorating so things were planned to possibly come forward, but yesterday it all kicked off and with huge thanks to the efforts of some wonderful people both mum and daughter doing fine.
They have to stay in for now and it’s wait and see if the heart problems been inherited.
I’m too unwell to be in the same room with them, and fuel money’s at a premium, so it will be some time before I get to hold her, or give her mum a big hug, so all a bit useless really, but can’t stop the Cheshire cat impressions and wanted to share good news.

Bit of a disaster with vehicle. Having parked up went to reverse and discovered I now had a floppy gear leaver that did nothing, so I’ve limped a long way home at 40 in third gear, so I guess mechanics is on tomorrows to do list.

Lovely news, Just!

Hope the key turned up, SC.

Today has been a day of nursery nativity play and school meetings. The one was lovely and the other depressing.

Welcome aboard, TossedSalad :) [Wanders out humming the Frasier music]

Congratulations GrannyJust ! My little nieces are premmies too, and just 4.5 Ibs each apparently - their due date was beginning of Jan. It's hard work looking after them in hospital I think.

done
picked up boys from school fighting
calmed boys down with food
went to dd's long concert. Now I didn't know what I was expecting from her school, as it is so far away and I'd never heard much about the music dept, BUT the audience got Glee, Gospel, Chamber, Geldof, Rutter,orchestras, flutes, drums, violins, Nyman, Mendelssohn (sp). AMAZING. Much better than ds1's school in terms of involvement; perhaps girls just like joining choirs and ensembles better than boys. No jazz band though! Boys like brass I also get the impression that the brainy girls stick with their music as a social activity whereas the brainy boys at ds's school tend to concentrate their efforts on their other studies, and music gets sidelined whilst they play rugby. Dd is too exhausted to do much now though. She was in the Glee choir singing Little Mix and Take That.

washing
worktops
recycling
supper

SC locksmith?
failing that, sometimes the key will fall out and be on the floor within a close radius of the lock, just requires a lot of going down on your hands and knees and checking under skirtings, rugs. Often it is where you left it within a few cm.

Pretty quiet day here

Ta Da

• D/W emptied
• Washing load in and hung to dry
• String of bunting made (raffle prize I donated to Xmas fayre)
• Chased up one of DD's xmas presents (replacement being sent) Took delivery of more pressies (now I will have to wrap the bggers!)
• Chivvied DD into writing up her homework project
• Added annual newsletter to xmas cards and got ready to post tomorrow
• Bags ready for the morning

Congratulations Granny Just.