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!

There's the odd photo here as well.

Oh, I didn't realise it was a charity thing for sick children. My mistake, I missed that part. DS1 is disabled, but definitely wouldn't qualify for that particular charity. It still is a very nice trip though. Glad you had a lovely time.

well done dd dizzy

glad you had a nice meal out toffee

Just have some and some

Thansk for awesome round up goth

silly trip sounds AMAZING!

DH not so much...

And on that note MEN! Am so annoyed with DH. Have been trying to get through to him that I really struggle with getting my school work done (marking, prep) at home as it's just impossible when I'm on my own with DS now. I told him last week that I needed some time this weekend to get all marking up to date before parents evening. Yesterday MIL was lovely enough to have DS for a few hours, then DH took him with him when he popped out to get petrol and say hi to BIL.

Today I was planning on a few hours this afternoon, but DH suddenly has to go and help BIL do some DIY because DH is pretty awesome at it all and BIL is not. But this means he's abandoning me with DS again and I won't get any schoolwork done while he's gone. Now turns out he doesn't have to go till lunchtime, which means my peaceful Sunday morning is gone and I'm now upstairs having to get work done now or I won't do it later.

Grrrrr - it's just so annoying because DH will drop everything to help other people, but when we need help (i.e. emptying cellar, taking mountains of crap to tip) then everyone has plans and is busy. I want him to put US first (and by US I mean ME) for a change.

Apparently this is all because SIL has been nagging BIL to do said DIY for ages and now BIL has decided it has to be done right now. Like there isn't shit loads of stuff in our house that also needs doing right now (we have a leak somewhere in downstairs toilet, cellar needs painting so we can set up storage and tidy loft, garage is full of mounds of shit, garden is half derelict, stairs up to attic still haven't been painted 4 years after being installed...I could go on!).

Don't get me wrong, SIL and BIL are lovely people (even if SIL is a bit distant sometimes) but this has really annoyed me.

On the bright side it has actually been good for me to get going and get as much done as possible now (I have 40 minutes left before I'm in charge of the deranged limpet munchkin - he screamed when I came upstairs to work), though I stomped up here in a foul mood earlier.

Ta da
Marked a set of practical work - now just have to do the written work...
Brekkie

To do
Post bloody cards!
Take out yesterday's washing and put away
Wash
Joint in oven (slow cooked leg of lamb)
If possible try and get some more marking done - not there yet!
Skype DM
Hotspots!!!

Engels - Could DH not take munchkin with him and DSiL entertain him?

That's a good idea dizzy - after all, this is to benefit SIL, surely she shouldn't mind helping out by watching your DC for a bit?

That was our cunning plan this morning dizzy btu when dh spoke to dbil this morning and arranged what time he was coming over he mentioned bringing ds and for some reason (I suspect sil is out with dns) this wasn't possible.

had a good chat with dh - hope he understands now how much I need time at home to get things done for work. If I don't, it all builds up and I have a meltdown.

ta da
dirty nappies outside
lunch
lamb with garlic, thyme and rosemary in oven

next order of business....doctor who!

Perhaps your DH could ring BIL back and say "gosh, I'd love to help you but I have charge of DS this afternoon. If SIL can't help out watching him, I can't possibly do any DIY, as obviously it's not safe to do DIY around the DC."

Alas he's already gone now!

Ohhhhhh Sillybilly ("Mummy" here!!! [applies yet more wrinkle cream] )

Definitely interested and definitely thrilled by your description of the trip!!! So thrilled to hear that you and little ds had a deservedly great day!!!! (The description of the little girl feeling Father C's beard nearly had me in tears!!) So brilliant!

Was just coming on here to say: tired, wrapping, cooking, tired, wrapping, arguing with dd over revision, tired, wrapping, cooking - that's the summary anyway - but your post has put all of that out of my mind and reminded me that here are far, far more important things in life!!

And what a trooper your little ds was on his first flight!!!! Thanks for link - can see how having something really fab to look forward to is such a boost to morale - really heartwarming.

Heigh ho. Had better get back to it.

Engels all that marking must be incredibly stressful to pack in; hope your dh will be more understanding of that in future

Sorry you are still feeling rough Just

Toffee must look at your ds2's thread!

Thanks for yet another fab round-up Goth don't know how you do it!!!

Big encouraging waves to everyone else... it's a bit of a slog at this time of year isn't it?

Off to polish dd's school shoes and make tropical fruit salad ...

Has the format changed on here btw? Goth's op post is now in a black box and sitting on top of thread. Or is it just me?

Enjoy your Sunday afternoons everyone!

DS is running round the lounge (copying the doctor and martha) shouting "Doctor Who!"

It was always in a box for me SC it is one of the things that you can customerise.

Absolutely knackered. Who ever it was that said that they were only thirty and thus not a grandma think again. Do the maths. I had a friend who was a grandma in her early thirties. Age is nothing. It is just a symbol of lesson learnt and wisdom gained usually the hard way in my case

Got in from my day out around 3am so have decided that i am not moving from my bed for anything but essential stuff and sleep is the main aim of the game. Busy day tomo and i need to be able to get a whole heap of stuff done.

Silly your trip sounds amazing. I have heard of the make a wish charity and seen photos of their trips before. It is really amazing what they do for the kids.

ta da
morning routines
put away washing up from last night
two loads of laundry
took out household rubbish
rubbish bin put out for collection
emptied out food recycling bin from house
outside food recycling bin put out for collection
washing up
tidy kitchen

to do
make "to do" list for tomorrow. now that will be long!!!
double check Christmas list for both gifts and food, and come up with one small list for the few things that are left
make cake

Will most likely have to do my "to do"s after the DCs are in bed. Easier that way. I am determined to make a better effort to not allow little things to irritate me so much. Or others (who shall not be named but nobody here obviously).

Quick pop in to squeal at Silly's trip.
It's sounds like Chantelle off Holby, is she that nice in RL?

BBL have something in my eye...

Oh yes, I see the black box too, no idea why, it wasn't me, honest gov'n

Turns out that bil and sil did have a row about her expecting things to get done in the house by bil. Bil work part time, sil part time. Dns are both in primary school, but free 2 afternoons a week on the days sil is home (pretty standard here). I t b ink a bone of contention is that sil makes lots of appts for kids (swimming, parties) and bil finds that his weekends are filled for him, so when is he supposed to do anything? (Can just imag I ne the conversation dh and bil had...probably a long the lines of "Nagging about diy? You should hear Engels!")

It's always slightly reassuring to known that you're not the only one with an imperfect marriage!

Ta da
Eat delicious lamb
ignore washing up
drink a glass or two of

To do
I really cba to do anything else. It's dh's turn to do bedtime so my evening looksmlike lots of wine and cheese!

I appear to have something in my eye
Silly - thank you for sharing with us, I'm SO, SO glad it worked out for you both.

Quick 'proud Mummy' alert - DS and I did the local Santa Run this morning and not only did he run the entire thing but he got a time that I would have been proud of on my own and he beat me to the line He was determined not to walk any of it and must have put his heart and soul into it as he was wobbly and tearful after crossing the line (just like me at the end of the GNR) but within 5 mins was saying he wanted to do it again (just like me at the end of the GNR!!)
He is only 8 and I can't see anything in life stopping him if he puts his mind to it

Haven't had time to catch up with anything else, hopefully there will be time next week amongst the million and one things going on

Hi all, I have gone incredibly flaky on this thread, I don't mean to be, but real life has been a bit up and down, Friday being the worst as I had to deal with not 1 but 4 meltdowns from ds1, the 1st because he missed his school bus, the second because he.had to go docs the 3rd because I suggested leaving him in docs while I go pick up ds2 and 3 as his meltdowns caused us to be late and 4 because after we finally got out of docs and went to pick up little ones, we got bumped by a car behind us whose brakes failed! Then I managed to bypass meltdown #5 by texting his father about French books he thought he'd brought home but hadn't. Then yesterday we went to visit the bigger kids up north so its been busy, suffering whiplash so dp has taken over housework etc as I'm struggling to move my shoulder without being in pain. Hopefully with all this r and r and painkillers I should be back to normal functionality tomorrow. Hope everyone else is well, sorry I just sort of skim read as there was a lot to catch up on.

Silly - lovely to hear about your Lapland trip. What a magical experience. No words to describe how I feel about your DH after your description today, although I will try to be charitable and say that I understand he is also struggling with the stress of the situation . Hope the two of you get it resolved too, as you need to support each other through this. Hugs to Joe.

Woke at 5am, parched from drinking too much white wine with friends last night . Wrote all my Xmas cards and looked after DS2 until 10am, then passed out in bed till 1pm.

Saw poorly friend this afternoon. The situation is shit, but she is getting tons of support, thank goodness, and being incredibly brave.

Dinners done. Bedtimes in progress. Borgen in a mo (final episode ).

No Flying at all today.

LINKS FOR 16 DECEMBER 2013

*
Babystep 16 is to read a Flylady email. So an easy day for those of us who aren't subscribed to pestered on a daily basis by the Fat Fairy.

This week we are in Zone 3 the Bathroom and 1 Extra Room. Detailed cleaning list for those that can be bothered here

This week's missions Sneak Peek
The "other" room is going to be taking 5 minutes at those stash and dash spots in your home.
The bathroom mission is to wipe down around the base and the back of the toilet.

It's Monday, so time for the Weekly bleugh, remember it's a quick clean, not in depth.

December's monthly habit is Pampering.

Flight Plan for today.

*
Christmas Holiday Cruise Mission 11 today, which is to complete any handmade gifts. (Guess I better start on the sweets )

SUMMARY

I think I may have worked out why we've a box around the OP, it's because we're on our 2nd page,

Just has fixed her vehicle but now feels worse.

Toffee has tidy brows and sounds like she had a really good night, hope the hangover wasn't too bad.

dizzy's DD has improved enough to go to a party, congratulations on the 2 strikes.

Silly put us out of our misery over Lapland, sounds like a fantastic day out.
There's photos on a face book page called Joanne's When You Wish Upon Star.

Silly & Engels both have annoying husbands, I'm sure if it's the time of year, even without the 'Christmas stresses' I find the dark nights don't help. We seem to be under each other's feet a lot more than normal, and just rub each other up the wrong way.

SC has tired, wrapping, cooking, tired, wrapping, arguing with dd over revision, tired, wrapping & cooking.

Bitchy hopefully caught up on her sleep today after yesterday's busy day.

Alice is embracing calm. May try that.

feet did the local Santa Run this morning and DS beat her! You're allowed to be proud.

Gossip has whiplash, hope the painkillers and rest do the trick.

I've iced my Christmas Cake (and fallen out with DH in the process)

Last week of term here, so I hope we all have a good week.

Toffee - we managed to miss several episodes out of the middle of this series of Borgen and have got so far behind we'll have to buy the DVD I think! It's out tomorrow...

Silly - your trip sounds fab - so glad you managed it!

Well done to your DS, Feet - and to you too.

Big waves to everyone else.

My aim for this week is to get the presents wrapped and the house respectable (and to survive the end of term madness)! My parents are arriving next Monday, which gives me a deadline - that always helps...

x-posted with Goth - thanks for the fab round-up!

Silly - your trip sounds fantastic and something magical for you all
Gossip and Engels - big hugs.
Congratulations to MiniFeet

Ta Da

• Woken up by DH jumping out of bed to watch the cricket
• Re-awoken by DD who decided I had to listen to her practising her violin
• Family trip to Reading to get a few last Xmas bits
• Washed pots and shined sink

Tomorrow I need to really blitz the house as there are fires in every room never mind hotspots!

Blue - we couldn't watch BBC iPlayer tonight (something wrong with it) so will have to wait till tomorrow for Borgen now - so frustrating. Getting the DVD is a good idea - it's really worth watching.

Have finished my evening routine, including all washing up done, surfaces wiped and clothes laid out .

Aiming for bed at a decent hour. Night all.