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!

*Explained we are financially struggling!!

Good morning!!

Goth and Whoknows that is hilarious !

Angry no you A definitely not BU!!

Alice¨the sad truth is that if I vacuumed in pearls and the house was immaculate dh wouldn't take a blind bit of notice!! He would take an interest in cooking tea though

Yes Giraffe and Toffee things only noticed here when NOT done!

Dh and I stomm only grunting at one another this morning but he did take some parcels off for posting with him so that's something.

Dizzy I saw the Black bun too - never heard of it either!

Carol concert here tonight too Swan (dd singing a carol with two others)

Right, could have done with more sleep but eerything seems to need doing urgently: Flying in house, cooking, wrapping, writing cards ... . Next year, I really, really will start things earlier [please don't look back to previous December threads and see how many times I have written that before!! [

Ta da:
packed dd's gym kit (not done last night)
tidied kitchen (not done last night - thanks dh]
morning routine, inc s&s, rabbits, wm, dw
prepared for lovely fortnightly ironing lady and discussed Christmas/NY office cleaning sched

To do:
wrap lovely ironing lady's present and sort out card and Christmas money
make a decent healthy supper - veggie lentilly thing -before I get too tired!
rest of present wrapping
more cards
post office again
school run (half day)
lunch dd
chase dd around the house with a large net and insist she has a full bath and scrub and change in to new uniform
polish dd shoes
carol concert
evening routine

Big waves to everyone! Good luck with blanket Bitchy and at dentist Toffee!

Angry Get rid of him, keep the bike. ho ho ho, eh?

SC Always a mess after DH cooks. Always. It's very much a reminder of how my dad cooked. He made some wonderful food, but I remember my mother saying he would literally use every pan in the kitchen, and most of the dishes to make it. And it used to make go spare when he messed with something she already had cooking. "oh, I'll just add a little..." and you'd hear mum say "oh no you won't!!"

SC regarding previous December threads, I can only imagine I'll be saying the same thing next year. Every year "I'll be more organised, start sooner" but it just doesn't seem to matter. The years I've been more organised, we've just been hit with one thing after another and still ended up doing last minute things. I've realised it's simply inevitable. Part of Christmas.

Yes you're probably right Alice about the inevitable Christmas rush! It's quite reassuring actually!! It's just that I know two people who are always organised (cards posted 1st December every year without fail). One of them sends out parcels end October (which is a bit excessive frankly). One has two dc and the other has 5! I just wish I could be more like them. After all, if I can consistently send parcels and presents out at the very last minute or late, I can presumably send them out consistently a little bit early !!

Angry Definite similar!ties there! Dh and I have learnt to avoid one another in the kitchen, or rather, I avoid the kitchen when he's in it, but he still can't resist sticking his fingers in, tasting, stirring, adding seasoning, taking over completely, or, the one that gets me really cross, lifting the lid when the rice is cooking and letting all the steam out! Trivial but annoying nonetheless!

[Turns attention back reluctantly to Mt Wrapmore]

Good morning everyone, have a day waiting in for parcels so I shall be soon grabbing some breaky and actually cleaning (not procrastinating on mn at all - do not look at active conversations)
I am planning on a room at a time just general tidying cleaning and putting things away.

However check out my tada list already (feels a bit like supermum)

-made pack lunches
-made ds3 breakfast
-organised ds1 for cooking class today (he has every ingredient!)
-helped ds3 find trousers for school trip
-wiped ds3's jumper as it was dirty and he has misplace other one...again
-cut triangles out of the bottom of a pair of trousers and a shirt collar/arms/hem for ds2's tudor fancy dress
-put in a load of washing
-folded some wet washing
-school run

dp even "helped" by moving things around the kitchen for me to wash up

to do in every room
-remove rubbish
-sort clothes
-put toys away
-move pots
-put things away in there right places
-polish/wipe
-hoover
-mop if needed

bathroom -swish and swipe
kitchen -wash pots
bedrooms -make beds
laundry -do as much as humanly possible !!!!

Wrap last minute gifts

send ds1 to get his own frigging secret santa gift for class mate!

Alice - actually, I do think DH really believes that. Sadly, when things are not done, I feel it is taken by DH as confirmation that I don't do enough, rather than proof that I do a lot normally. He would argue that's not true, but I can see his glances and read his expressions well enough to know what he's thinking. Maybe if I presented him with a list of what I've done every day, he would begin to understand. It's maddening.

Remember my fab list yesterday? Well, this morning it looks as if nothing has been done in this house at all . Anyone calling round now would think what a slovenly person I must be. All last night's dirty plates and saucepans are still in the kitchen and the dining-room table is piled with washing, papers and breakfast things .

Anyway, I'm not doing any work today because I have to go to the dentist twice and did extra yesterday to cover myself, so am going to do my morning routines and try to transform the house again (groundhog day).

Ta da

Managed to get two reluctant children to school

Only three more days of the term left, thank goodness.

Afternoon all

Been to dentist, had filling still numb.

Then went to Lidl and spent just short of £60! Although there are a few pairs of thermals in there and a big bag of pistachios (they are selling them loose)

Am now completely defrosting freezer to cram the last few bits in (breaded cream cheese jalapeño peppers & 12 Belgium chocolate cups mine all mine)

Dd is at her school Christmas party until 5, so less time pressure today.

No news of the interview, so I don't think I've got it, which is kind of a relief as it's half hour walk to the train station, then 2 trains home.

BBL

Phoned dh to have it out with him. Seems I got the wrong end of the stick, he was giving me all his bonus except a bit which he want to keep back in case something goes wrong with his bike . Oops!!

Ta Da
Groundhog Day here too Toffee
packed lunches x4
school run
Made 5 beds
tided 3 bedroom (the twins trashed their room since yesterday, which is amazing as they still don't have any toys.. but discover tissue paper and stars, spread across their room and one decided to empty his wardrobe on to the floor)
Sorted top landing 3x bags into bin
2x to charity

To Do
Skip run
Charity run
bank
school run
sort dinner
plan next weeks food shopping

Goth my mouth is watering at the thought of your breaded cream cheese jalapeño peppers..... which is not good as I gave up dairy 14 months ago..

Freezer is defrosted! I am now defrosting with a and DH has mopped the kitchen floor. And bonus, not only can I get my shopping in, there's a bit more space

I'll be back on MFP in January.

Angry as much as I love you all, no-one get my breaded cream cheese jalapeño peppers .
at misunderstanding DH. But don't go easy on him, he's bound to do something to piss you off this week.

Just had a call, I didn't get the job, but they say I interviewed well. Guess. I'll be a "lady of leisure" a bit longer!

Goth "Lady of Leisure" is hard work. I thinking of getting a job to get a break .

At least you got good positive feedback, but I am sure the commute would of been a pain in the bum.

Is it wrong that I have been on MN since my last post?? I better go and finish my to do list!

Angry isn't it just! When I was working last summer, I used to be pleased to go in for a break (disclaimer, I had an easy job and working mothers are amazing)

Done
Washing up
Recycling out
Dry laundry away
Laundry on (after battle with machine)
Cards written
Another parcel wrapped.

Off to make some cinder toffee.

Angry dh and I had an argument about finances two days ago. He seems to have backed off now and is being lovey dovey again It is always frustrating having financial conversations because it always ends up bringing in all sorts of other related stuff to argue about...where we live, how we live, what we choose to spend our respective money on etc etc, who is responsible for the children (obviously both of us [hmm).

Slim I feel like I have been under a lot of pressure to be all things to all men over last 25 years, Christmas wise. Today I started a little gentle Xmas shopping and it was actually quite enjoyable, for once. I may not send any cards. I will see if the mood takes me. Dss wrote 2 cards each this evening, that was a bit of a triumph

Very pleased I bought Dh a lovely pop-up of Jules Vernes 20,000 Leagues under Sea (he collects them). And a Robert Harris for my godson (impossible to choose for 17 year old boys I find and always find myself over tipping on the voucher front) Also found a very nice butcher next to dss school. Dropping ds2 at school every morning is proving useful.

Off to the Scouts Concert now. I will have to sing loudly and lead the 6-8 year olds. [flat][need pearls and a xylophone]

Better go. I WISH THIS TERM WERE OVER I REALLY DO!!!

Oh and our bedroom is horrendous now. Bags and bags of shopping, clean clothes, cats draped over everything. Sparkly jumpers mixed in with thermal vests...And still no Xmas tree...Maybe on Saturday!

Spent a lot of time in the dentist today (had to go in twice!) and am now nursing sore gums, but at least I have a very beautiful new porcelain crown. Dentist tried to fit the crown without an injection , but I wasn't having that. It hurt, FFS! Then she asked if I had a low pain threshold and I said yes, maybe for teeth, but I had managed to have two children with no pain relief, so I'm not that wimpy .

Have only had soup so far, but am hoping I can eat something soon. Wine seems to be going down nicely though.

As a result of all this dentistry, I have done very little Flying and no work, but at least I managed to order a few last-minute cards from Moonpig.com, so that's something else ticked off the Xmas list.

Swan - our bedroom is in a sorry state too.

LINKS FOR 19 DECEMBER 2013

*
Babystep 19 is a testimonial about making our homes like a bed & breakfast (I think they're a bit cosier in the US)

This week we are in Zone 3 the bathroom & 1 other room. Detailed cleaning list for those that can be bothered here

Sneak Peak for this week's missions, today we are should shine our bathroom handbasins, and the stash and dash is to revisit and throw away or recycle anything that can be got rid of.

It's Thursday, Errand Day

December's monthly habit is Pampering.

Flight Plan for today.

*
Christmas Holiday Cruise Mission 14 is to wrap any last minute presents, and to check the Holiday Control Journal to make sure nothing has been forgotton.
I must remember to check how much washing up liquid I have!

Evening all,

Goth - I have an extremely flexible job (contracted to do an average of 8 hours a week over the year) and have been known to go into the office when I don't really need to in order to get away from the housework last week for example.

Swan - my bedroom is a tip too, the clean clothes mountains all got shifted in there yesterday when the ILs came to stay.

Anyway, ILs have gone again, and I have had a mixed day. Got all DD's birthday invitations handed out at school today and made enquiries about a party for DS. Went to work but only managed to stay till 1, my pulled back muscle at the weekend has developed into leg pain (Dr Google tells me piriformis syndrome) which I have suffered with before and while it's not agony it is pretty painful and gets worse over the course of a day unless I can rest. Office chairs are particularly bad for it. So phoned round several physios and made an appointment for the morning. Anyway, don't want to sit at the computer chair much longer so going to sign off at this point, night all.

Mad day here (again!)... Suddenly got some work in the middle of the day, then had a hair appointment, then mad dashes to get boys from CM, feed them, drop them and DH at the school for the evening performance of the nativity play and get into town for choir carol concert. Concert went well, but I very badly scraped the car on a horrible pillar in the car park getting out again . Now going to be a major hassle to sort it all out just before Christmas. DH being fairly understanding but still mortified.

Hope you can get some rest WhoKnows.

Sorry to hear of dentistry hassles, Toffee.

SC - the trouble with the disco was that DS1 didn't know any of the songs - don't have the radio on at home and never been exactly up-to-date with popular culture in this house! - so he felt left out when all his friends were singing along, doing dance moves etc.

SUMMARY

Bitchy is disappearing under crotchet squares (at least you'll be warm)

Blue feels bad because he DS1doesn't know 'the songs', my DD doesn't either, we never listen to the radio/have music channels on. She has great knowledge of The Levellers but we are a Bieber/1D free house

SC will hopefully not be extracting tinsel in the next few days. I don't think the early Christmas preparation helps, I started ok, but then got complacent.

Swan made a butternut squash risotto, very nice. No one else here will eat it but me, so I don't bother. Hope tonight's carol concert went well, half way there. Honest, the end of term is in sight. I can't open wardrobe doors, as there seems to be a mountain of gifts. (Twitch)

dizzy sounds like she's getting her DH in line.

Alice I think you are right and the pre-Christmas street is inevitable. Susanne Moore's Tips for Surviving Christmas she even references MN dishwasher vodka.

Angry nearly killed her DH for no reason! But you know he'll do something soon.

Gossip has been getting on whilst waiting for parcels.

Toffee had a 'Forth bridge' moment in that the cleaning is never ending. Can't believe you went to the dentist twice.

I've made my cinder toffee, but will need to do it again as it's a bit thin, and I've finally made the Christmas crackers, really enjoyed it! just need to fill them now? I though a naice mint chocolate (DD wants After Eights), paper hat, bad kids joke and little gift.

Xpost Whoknows & Blue

WhoKnows ouch! that sounds really awful! I've had sciatica before and been completely laid up with it. Have you been given anything for it?

Blue so sorry about your scrape! the problem is you'll have had so much on your mind and car park design is terrible.

Aww missed that about the not knowing the songs. I started worrying that that was going to happen to my DCs as well, so a couple of years ago I started buying the Pop Party compilations, fairly toe curling to adults but perfect for DCs to get to know all the music their friends are in to and get played at school discos.

Goth - have you checked everyone likes mint chocs? I can't bear them, even the smell makes me feel a bit icky.

Bless him Blue. My kids love Queen but I realised this wasn't going to cut it when they got older.

These 2 seem very poplar at the moment (not in the charts, but all the kids seem to know them) and you can watch both on YouTube for free. "dumb ways to die" and "What did the Fox say?" Both annoying but can be fun if you embrace them.

Toffee not sure I would want a crown fitted without pain relief, sounds like your dentist is a sadist .

Whoknows Sounds painful, hope you can get some rest.

Swan Hope you had fun at the concert! But like you, can't wait for this week to end! Can't believe it's only Wednesday.

Gossip Great Ta Da list. Yes my DS2 has decided to do Secret Santa, told me tonight, needed by Friday!! Wish I could send him to do it by himself too!!!!

Alice your comment did make me laugh. Though I would rather sell the bike and get a horse!! As tempting as it is to get rid of Dh, I have Loved him since I was 5, not sure what I would do without him. But life would be easier if he did what he was told, and knew what to do without me telling him!! But as Swan said, financial conversation seem to bring out all the other related stuff to argue about!!! Hideous!!

Goth We always make our own crackers too. Here are few bad jokes for you to use if you want too!! Its my DS2 job is to find the jokes for the crackers, he spend hours on the net laughing to himself, I get about 50 by the end of it. So the boys get a joke a day in their packed lunches too.

What is Santa's favourite pizza?
One that's deep pan, crisp and even.

What is an ig?
An igloo without a loo

Why was Santa's little helper feeling depressed?
He had low elf-esteem.

Those are just the thing for DS2's lunchbox for the last two days of term, Angry, thank you. He needs something to cheer him up.