Fledglings don't makes resolutions in January, they fly through the babysteps.

[BitchytheGreat]

So here it is the dreaded January thread. The thread of resolutions and good intentions for the year that you are lucky if you see through to the end. Welcome to the start of 2014!!

A quick note for newbies, this is a long running thread. We do like new blood around here. However, we do ask you to be respectful that for a lot of us just getting off our arses is not going to help and to avoid suggesting this. We all know life is more complicated then this. So here we do things a little differently. A little bit of flying and a lot of chatter and moral support. Feel free to jump on board and join us in flying.

For those who are new to fly lady she recommends a three step program:

1. Get those babysteps into a habbit
2. Get rid of the clutter.
3. Get that deep cleaning done.

Don't worry if you think you not doing it right but not getting up to it. Some of us have been here for years and we are still decluttering. Because clutter has a nasty way of multiplying if you take you eye off it, especailly if you have kids.

Fly lady ethos tells us a few things that I want you to remember:
No perfectism this is harder then you would imagine
You are never behind just start where you are and anything you do is progress.
It didn't get into a mess overnight, it won't get tidy over night accept it will take time to get on top of things and you will be happier.

So jump on board and lets get started.

Oh and I forgot the proper introductions. "I'm Bitchy and I shall be your guide to the fly lady system for January" better buckle up as things normally get a little crazy when it is my turn to take control. good luck

Toffee such good news that DH is home, good luck with the nursing, I find my patience runs out after a day or two.

Eustacia

I'm hoping for an early night although it may give DH ideas, he's been very supportive of a certain resolution.

Glad DH is home Toffee. Been chatting with PA today, she sends her love.

Just - hope the tree didn't do too much damage.

Mercury - I think I need to start getting up earlier, problem is DH is a lazy arse in the morning and doesn't get up till the last possible minute that he can get away with, then I'm inclined to feel why should I get up early while he's all snug in bed and DD is the same (DS gets up by himself and likes to be first up). However we really have to rush to get out of the house every morning at the moment, we allow a good margin on school run so never late, but it can be stressful. I'm about to go and tell him he's getting up 15 mins earlier from now on.

Eustacia - sorry to hear about GP .

Engels - well done on the run!

Ta-da!

Morning routine
School run - drenched but not far enough to be worth taking the car
Clean litter trays
Go to work (flooded road had reopened thank goodness)
Home
School run
General tidying / paperwork
Dinner
Reading with DCs etc
Need to do that ironing I meant to do last night, hmm.

for toffee. Glad your DH is recovering, bet you're glad the last 24 hours is over!

Nicknacks

Sorry you're feeling so sad Engels. MCs are horrible, particularly the waiting for it to be over

Back to workitis here too. Email at 6:57 this morning telling me the tenders we had to get in for 10am today had been reviewed and were shit so please could I come in and rewrite them. I didn't write them in the first place I hasten to add. Had a check myself and yes, they were shit so I had a rather exciting first three hours of the week trying to get them into a reasonable state. Not convinced we'll have much of a chance though

Online shopping night for me tonight. Routines done mostly by DH

Tomorrow's to do includes reorganising the kitchen pans (exciting!) and possibly painting the window in the bathroom!

Not been on much today, that's another symptom of out tv free days, I can't get onto MN as much :o

Toffee - brilliant that DH is out of hospital, hope he feels a lot better soon :)

Eustacia - sorry about the GP :(

NickNacks - that's lovely news, will look forward to a birth announcement in 20 week's time :o

I have done most of my routines today, despite considerable lack of motivation and grumpiness :( Just got some tidying to do in a bit and feed the cats. The DC have behaved hideously today, DS is quite obviously bored, so I think we are all quite looking forward to him being back at preschool tomorrow! Think I am going to take DD out for a shopping trip to Sainsbury's, I've heard they have got some good bargains on at the moment!

Whoknows I think I'm naturally like your dp and will lay in bed until the last possible second. But I have realised it results in myself and the dc being stressed in the mornings. I actually really enjoyed being able to potter about and get bits done this morning. It also meant the house was reasonably tidy when I came home, instead of looking like a tornado swept through it I am determined to keep it up and see how much difference it will make. I always feel as if I don't have enough hours in the day but generally I think that is due to my naturally disorganised personality so I am desparately trying to change. Fingers crossed I can keep it up. It will be interesting to hear how much difference the extra 15minutes makes to you.

Bugger it, I just got into bed, went to tick everything off my list and I forgot to check DS's bag is organised for preschool tomorrow, it's the last unticked thing on the list for today
That'll teach me not to spend the past half hour playing with rearranging the DC's playmobil so it looks really fun for them to play with in the morning

Sounds like everyone is have a very busy day, one way or other.
Congratulation NickNack
Eustaciavye, horrible when you lose a pet.
Toffee, happy to hear Dh home, good luck with the nursing .

Ta da
6 am start
D/w x3
Washing up
Cleaned sink
S&S x3
W/m x6
T/d x5
Laundry folded and put away x7
Weekly food planned
Shopping ordered
Made American pancakes for breakfast
Washed packed lunch boxes (thanks Bitchy)
Dressed and shower
Dc haircuts x4
Lunch out
Paint
Decided didn't like the grey in the boys room, change it too blue and re painted the whole room twice [crazy].
Made dinner
Tidied up kitchen
Return all furniture to boys room, and tidy up!
2 bags of rubbish for the dump, put in boot of car.
Laid out school clothes
Took dog for a walk
Unpacked food order ( yes, ordered it at 6 this morning and got a evening delivery)
Made packed lunches x4
Laid out pe kit (need to check in the morning it all still fits)

To do
Put second batch of bolonaise sauce in freezer
Pass out!

To do tomorrow
Skip
Run
Cub paperwork
Put away Christmas tree
Wrap 2 Birthday presents

Teenager (16) went on ski trip on Saturday, still haven't heard anything from him . I know he is breaking free and getting his independents but is it that hard to send a message, to a worried not ready to let go mummy .

Bollock!! Forgot to polish the shoes!

Well, I've told DH and he grudgingly agreed. So we'll see tomorrow. I actually quite like being up on my own and pottering so I don't mind him getting up a little later than me (at the moment he gets up 15 mins later) so we have agreed that everryone will get up 15 mins earlier tomorrow, ie Ds at 7, me at 7.15 and DH and DD at 7.30. Which is what we used to do, but it all slipped at some point and it has often meant dishes left out, swish and swipe not done etc. Which is not so bad when I'm not working, but on my work days it means doing it all after school, which is a busy time anyway.

further dones

PE kit washed
clothes laid out for tm
washing up x 2 sinks
recycling
food compost including a whole saucepan of old red cabbage that never was eaten
children to bed - forced ds1 to read primary retelling of Macbeth. I forget that for him Shakespeare is a foreign language. He seemed surprised it was a good story..is firmly of opinion that Shakespeare incomprehensible and boring.

more chores, I cannot remember which ones, they seem endless and the house is still a mess...

All is well otherwise though!

whoknows you can tell your dh that mine gets up every morning at 6.45. Even when I get up first, he still has to wake up in order to wake me, as otherwise I spend all night wide awake worrying that I will miss the alarm He is a lark though. Mindset perhaps. I used to love early mornings as a child, and coming down to the garden when everyone was asleep, and dancing around Or tents in the dawn. Now I feel dread at the thought of starting day too early, as if I will run out of steam before I get half way through...

Sod all done here today but DD back at school so will start with Home Blitz and go from there!

Ta Da

• DD to cinema (as predicted I fell asleep but I wasn't the only parent to do so!)
• Sent one of DH's xmas presents back!
• Cooked tea
• Washed the pots DH had just stuck in the D/W last night and shined sink
• Ironed DD's pile of washed clothes inc. school shirts DD's book & PE bags ready by door - will polish her shoes too (thanks Merry*)
• Uniform hung ready
• DD bathed and read to and in bed reasonably early

Need to pay online for her school dinners before bed

Toffee - glad DH is home.
Engels - it's a right b*gger when you just can't move on from a mc which is so hard in itself without being reminded of it every few weeks. Fingers crossed you have one 1 more visit and then you can look forward more positively to when you feel ready to try again
NicNacks - great news "Aunty"!

This nursing business is fun . Woke up to help DH get to the bathroom, then had to fetch him a drink and get him a new hot-water bottle, so I am now wide awake and hungry for breakfast. DH, on the other hand, has gone back to sleep.

This would be a perfect opportunity to do some Flying, but then I risk waking up MIL. Ah well, suppose I'll just have to catch up on MN instead .

Hey all, can I join? :)

I've been here before, on and off. I've realized I don't really know HOW to clean. I just know how to let things get to an utter state and then someone is going to come over so I rush around throwing everything away or shoving it into -admittedly nice- baskets. :) And it's rubbing off on DS; he's 6 and just leaves things everywhere.

I want to join and stick with you all year. :)

Welcome back, CheerfulYank . I have been following the Flylady housework routines and decluttering for a while now and it has definitely made a big difference.

Morning all.

I am going to try list posting on work days to try and give me motivation to keep up the flying during the week.

To do:-
Morning routine
Work
Hoover downstairs
Mission
Dinner
Washing on
Washing in dryer
Putting away
Evening routine

Let's see if this works

Welcome back cheerfulyank

toffee definitely agree it would be a bad idea to wake MIL.

SO after 12hrs sleep ds is stropping about nothing having had enough sleep and being too tired to go to school. Quite frankly i'm with him this morning. 12hrs sleep was simply not enough.

Bitchy I'm so with you this morning. Despite having a panic at the weekend about AF not arriving and being so grateful when it did - it can now fuck off to the far side of fuck and stay there. My energy level is about minus ten million, I have a nascent cold (sore throat and general aches), and a grouchy toddler - and a million things to do.

Thankfully DS has toddler gymnastics just before lunch, so I'm hoping that will knacker him enough so that we can have a joint nap after lunch... for about 6 months.

Anyway, moaning over for a bit at least and today I need to:

• wipe down kitchen surfaces thoroughly
• mop kitchen floor
• sort recycling and take to the tip (this may just be sorted and left in garage as it's about to tip it down - no pun intended!)
• dust & hoover our bedroom
• dust living room
• organise dinner

Right... more for me. I'll leave some industrial strength for those in need!

Quite agree, bitchy. I really need more sleep at the moment. DP is an owl by nature and works late, and I'm a lark it seems (much to my surprise and the never ending amusement of my mother), so I end up functioning in that slightly grainy running on empty way.

I'm currently trying to trick myself with a mask (usually I hate them as they rub, but this one is nice and fluffy), but I must have removed it in my sleep and was awake at 5.58 precisely. Bing! Anyway, this thread is helping a lot.

Ta da

Sink
Morning routine
Laid out clothes ON
Plan written

To do
Door fronts
Desk hotspot
15 min declutter
Finance admin
Squirrels
Tree
Sports Bra
Groceries

Cross posted there whilst writing my list - hope that tea works doris, and your cold goes away!

Joins in with and requiring more sleep, another owlish DH. He wonders why I don't believe him when he says he'll be 10 minutes, but it can take him 2 hours to come to bed after me.

But another successful school run this morning, (it won't last) with only a slight sulk from DD. They had made their resolutions yesterday at school, and one of hers was to look after GothCat, so she planned to feed him this morning. Unfortunatly she'd not told us this & so DH had already done it. I'm sure GC would have quite happily had a 2nd breakfast but as he's already a bit tubby...

Done
Beds
Packed lunch
Dd to school
Washing up
Laundry on

Waiting for DH to finish in bathroom so I can S&S.

To do
Missions
Paperwork
Adjust DH's coat
Make soup

BBL

done
three children off to secondary
one child driven to schoo
booked MOT
took dirty washing down
took clean washing up to my bedroom
stripped ds1's bed
had coffee and chat with dh about his work

so dismal outside. I've gone back to bed now whilst I research a few things on web (ie: when is my MOT expiration date as I can't find last year's test cert

my plan for this morning has been made simpler by the dreadful weather:

internet for 30 mins
put clothes away in children's rooms x 3
tidy horrendous playroom utility which stinks of cat and other rubbish
hoover up the pine needles which are everywhere
tidy my room again and put my clothes away
clean my basin
clean all the bathrooms
clean dd's room

then if the rain stops might go and get some easy food for supper to go with all that cold rice I need to fry up - make fried rice (pork fillet? carrots? mushrooms?)

Wish my housekeeping skills were as fast as this thread!

Today the plan is
recycling out
hotspot
shine sink
layout clothes
monday mission
tuesday mission
15 min declutter (in study, not kitchen, as kitchen ok, and study really not.)

Humanordancer Squirrels?? tell me more, as intrigued!

I am on a roll!!

Ta Da
up at 6 am
w/m on
t/d on
d/w emptied
dressed
bed
breakfast x4 dc
pe kit measured and sorted
bags sort
polished school shoe x4
tidy up from breakfast
washed up
w/m again
t/d again
folded up laundry
style 4x dc hair - after hair cut yesterday, they have all become fashion victims
6 boys 2 school run ((45 minutes))
Went to the skip, empty car in the rain self, pat on the back
popped into shops for baguette for boys packed lunch tomorrow bought bil and niece's Christmas present for next year
t/d again
laundry folded
w/m

now a while on mn

to do
Paper work

Still dc has still not phoned from his skiing trip, do you think I should contact his college and have them pass on a message that he should contact me, to let me know he is ok? or am I be over protective, which I can be

laughing too myself as my Cubs are going to performing this, Once I can work out how to Choreograph it.

ta da
usual morning routines, school runs
baked big batch of oatmeal raisin cookies (DCs favourite)
washing up done
load of laundry washed, to be dried now
rang council to organise repair of fireplace that leaks smoke into my bedroom (not happy about that)
made hospital appointment for DS2
made eye appointment for DS1
tidied kitchen
tided living room
requested refill prescriptions online

to do
appointments with asthma nurse for both DS1 & DS2
check prepayment meters for electric and gas

There's more I SHOULD be doing, but I'm tired today and probably will relax a bit this afternoon. I'm currently wading through paperwork. Will catch up on reading posts this evening!