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!

Just - you have done what you can do. THAT is the fly lady ethos. NOT perfection. Have a lovely christmas! Hope you feel better soon

Poor kitten paw :(

Finally done the stockings. Paw seems to be unharmed.

Just - no, you are not a disgrace to Flylady, more like an example to us all of how it can help in the most dire circumstances. Hope your nose is better soon.

Bitchy - could you crochet some stockings?

I really am going to bed now, night all.

Bitchy - Nooo, not the stocking! Hope you find it ok. Is blanketgate ongoing? Poor you.

Just - owch, that sounds really painful. Hope the a/bs kick in in time for you to enjoy Xmas Day (and, hopefully, minus the black eyes. Perhaps you could pretend you are wearing festive purple eyeshadow? )

Silly - so glad you and Joe managed to get home again, but sorry he's still being sick. Crossing fingers and gingers for a good day for you tomorrow.

WhoKnows - I'm so impressed by all your homemade food. It sounds delicious. And yes, it was me who tipped the disgusting oil down the sink - I kept thinking one of the oranges had gone mouldy. Will make a note of your recommendation.

Watched 'It's a Wonderful Life' with DS2 today, which he enjoyed until it got to the bit where James Stewart shouts at the children, which he found so upsetting that he ran upstairs, crying. Luckily, he was persuaded to come down again, so he saw the happy ending.

Ta da

Room rescued sitting room
Made chicken casserole
Enjoyed a family meal
Wrapped remainder of the presents
Wrote cards for the boys, DH and MIL
Set out stockings for DC
Bedtime routine for overexcited DS2
Calmed him down with 'The Night Before Xmas' on CD
Finished washing up and put d/w on
Shined sink
Wiped down kitchen counters and cooker top
Mopped muddy hall
Cleaned bathroom - swished & swiped, mopped floor, replaced loo roll with Xmas loo roll
Put washing away
Cleared dining-room table and laid out cards for morning
Tiptoed into DS2's bedroom and filled his stocking - ho, ho, ho

Ready for bed now. DS1 is still up (keep hearing him get up and move around), so I'm going to have to put the stocking in his room whilst he's awake (not that he's under any illusions).

MIL is coming round at 10 tomorrow morning. Need to get the turkey on by 8am, which means warming the oven up by 7.30. The turkey looks huge now there are only five of us here, so we'll be living on it for some time, I suspect.

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas Day. Merry Christmas!

Well done Toffee. Our food has to all be done from scratch as it is a cow's milk free dinner for my DF (otherwise Aunt Bessie would be my friend).

Well, it is still admirable, WhoKnows, whatever the reason. Waitrose readymade bread sauce and gravy is my friend .

Have just worked out the timings for the Christmas lunch. Am aiming to have it ready by 1pm (as MIL expects a 1pm lunch), which means it'll be nearer 1.30. Is it just me who always has to add an extra half hour onto my timings for Xmas lunch .

Anyway, am off to bed now, dropping in the stocking to DS1 on the way (am hoping he might have gone to sleep by now). Will enjoy using my new Liz Earle stuff before bed. I'd been saving the box to open in front of DM (as it's her present to me, although I ordered it), but as she won't be here tomorrow, I may as well enjoy it now.

See you all after the big day.

WhoKnows Thanks to tooth fairy and Santa I have discovered I am a very competent liar.

Well operation Santa has been completed , another year without being caught, as they get older it is hard and harder not to be.

Stockings found and in process of being made up. Blanket gate is on going. thankfully i have already raised the point I will be finishing it tomo. I am sure i said last year to remind me not to make any of the presents this year

promise not to moan tomo

Happy Christmas

Good morning and

~H~A~P~P~Y~ ~C~H~R~I~S~T~M~A~S~ ~E~V~E~R~Y~O~N~E!~

Morning!

Merry Christmas from me too. A small night time interruption when DS woke at 4.30 and couldn't find his alarm clock but then peace till 6.50.

Morning all! Happy Christmas. Reasonably civilised here at 6.30 as well.

Have a fabulous day .

Merry Christmas one and all.

Whatever state the house is in we all are surrounded by loved ones today and that is all that matters. Big Hugs to us all.

Breakfast was cooked by DS and now he is back in the kitchen coking lunch! He is off work afterwards so will get to spend some time with him. yeah!

Merry Christmas everyone!

DS2 woke me at 6.30am, but forgot it was Christmas Day and went back to sleep, leaving me wide awake. He finally woke up to open his stocking at 7.30.

Merry - no Santa believers left in this house and, much as I enjoyed the subterfuge at the time, it is quite a relief not to have to pretend.

Bitchy - glad you found the stocking. Love your 'Happy Christmas' sign to us all.

dizzy - how lovely that you are with your boy - and he's cooking for you too! Enjoy your day.

WhoKnows - 6.50 is almost respectable when DC are little! Hope you have a great day.

Everything has gone very smoothly so far. I keep thinking I must have forgotten something. I'm following my timings for Xmas lunch but, as usual, something hasn't stuck to the plan (in this case, the turkey not being ready), so everything is being cooked half an hour later. I have laid the table and am sitting here, drinking Prosecco (have broken my rule of not drinking till the Xmas meal is on the table). DH and MIL are watching a film, DS2 is making his third set of Lego and DS1 is on the computer. It's all astonishingly peaceful.

Am hoping it doesn't all go horribly wrong in the last half hour, but my timer is keeping me on track.

Happy Christmas to you all!

ellie - so sorry, I missed you out! Happy Christmas!

Long icky day. So so glad it's time to relax now.

Merry Christmas everyone

Dd didn't wake until 8:20 - bliss
She's spent most of the morning playing with Lego, so I was able to get on with lunch undisturbed.
Everyone is full, and DH has done his annual claim of the remote. We'll wrestle it off him for Toy Story 3.

Happy Christmas!

The boys slept fine last night - it was me who didn't! Partly being full of cold and partly too much stuff on my mind. Ended up peeling sprouts at 3am in the hope a mindless repetitive task would send me off to sleep - it didn't! Just dozing off when the boys woke up at 5.50. Hey ho!

Christmas dinner went very smoothly here too and generally a nice time had by all.

Sorry you've had an icky day Alice and glad you found the stocking Bitchy.

Cheers.

Lunch was good. MIL went home at 3.30 and I went off to have a nap . About to eat some Christmas pud (too full after lunch) and watch 'Dr Who'.

Enjoy your well-deserved rest, Alice. Glad you had a lie in and a Lego-mad DD, Going.

DS2 has made three different sets of Lego today and read his Christmas books. Anyone want to know any Horrid Henry world records - we seem to have heard an awful lot of them!

Merry Christmas fledglings. I hope you all had a fantastic and merry day

So i just snuck into ds' room to take a picture of wiped out and very cute looking ds. Flash went on the camera. Ds' response wtf mum, i am trying to sleep. I might show him the picture tomo. Then again I might save it until he is a teenagers. lol

Wiped out, hmm, my two are still up and only just slowing down, they've been very good all day and played all evening. They just don't want Christmas Day to end.

Sleep meds whoknows he had them at 5 he should have been asleep by 8pm but has been over-riding them due to excitement. He has been so over-rung he has spent most of the day bursting into tears at the slightest thing. Bless him. Hopefully he has managed to fall back asleep. will check on him in about an hour and turn his reindeer lights off for him.

Of course, I wasn't thinking. Hope you and he have a peaceful night.

That's the sort of thing my DS1 would say, Bitchy . Worth disturbing him to get the cute photo though.

Mine couldn't settle this evening either, WhoKnows. DS2 was still wide awake at 10 (maybe playing with his squirty foam soap in the bath before bedtime wasn't such a good idea, after all ) and DS1 is still awake now.

Have just done some last bits of washing up, wiped down the kitchen counters and put a new tablecloth on our dining-room table. It all looks amazingly tidy in the Toffee household . (Apart from in our bedroom, of course). Long may it last.

It's been a lovely day. Hope all you fledglings have had good days too.

My house looks like a bomb's gone off in it. There are piles of presents and selection boxes everywhere and absolutely nowhere to put any of it. Guess I need to get decluttering again in the New Year. Upstairs has got all the stuff we have to move out of the kitchen to extend the table.