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

Roast dinner is in the oven, and then I am going to get down to a bit of crisis cleaning before DM's arrival on Friday!

Will leave sink empty and wiped clean before heading to bed tonight (that's my version of a shining sink!)

Just spotted thread title!!!!!!! Sorry Bitchy with my list of resolutions!!!

Hi is there room for one more?
I started Babysteps about 2 years ago and worked really well for me before something of other got me off track I imagine.

Looking to start 2014 full of positivity and baby steps / FLYing will I hope give me (and my house/family) a good start with that. Have been suffering from depression for the past 3 or so months, and just finding the energy to do washing up has been too much somedays (lots of days really!). So I thank you in advance for inspiring, and wish all a happy 2014!

Got up at about 9am not long after DH and DD. Really couldn't be bothered to talk to him but eventually he asked what was wrong with me! He didn't understand why I felt both embarassed and humiliated by his behaviour and justified it by saying he had felt sorry for himself and as he can't undo it that in effect I should just get over it!

I have kept out of his was by helping to prepare veg for dinner and help with clearing/washing up afterwards.

My sink shining consists on making sure all washing up is done before bed and kitchen sides clean and tidy.

Thank you to Goth for last month and Bitchy for thi and Welcome to all newbies and returnees

Hope you're ok dizzy :(

castle I bet I can guess which one! ;)

Got back from parents' house about an hour ago and it was lovely coming into a tidy house, not perfect but lived in and perfectly presentable and ready for a visitor should one descend on us. So CHAOS has been averted for now

Tomorrow's list

Minding one little one all day so need to be up and ready for him by 8am.
Chase late payment by the same parent it is every fecking month.
Baking cookies
Fill new kitchen caddies
Lay dining room rug back down
Declutter under stair cupboard
Fill under stair cupboard with toys for the toy rotation :)
The mission (must admit I need to go back and read.

Merry - what a lovely DH you have . What on earth happened on MNHQ last night? Bitchy mentioned that too.

WhoKnows - it's difficult when you and DH disagree about how to manage behaviour. I'm not sure how you convince your DH that what you are doing is far less likely to give your DC hang-ups about eating. As you say, insisting the DC eat something simply doesn't work, in my experience, so it's a lot of work (and upset) for nothing.

DH is muttering about going on a diet and giving up alcohol for a while, which means I will probably join him (at least, the giving-up alcohol bit). Can't say I am overly enthused about it, as I do like my at the end of the day.

Goth - I like the 100HappyDays idea.

Alice, Stunt - can't shine my sink either, as it's black. I call it 'shined' when it's cleared of dishes and has been wiped clean. Oh, and I polish the taps for visitors! (This is usually noticed by MILs/Mums/etc, ie. the older generation).

Castle, Gossip, Engels - crossing my fingers for fledgling babies from all three of you later this year.

TheAfterDark - welcome to the thread. You might be interested to know that Flylady started her cleaning routines as a response to a period of depression in herself. The routines helped give her back a sense of control and the small steps meant that it was all manageable even if she was lacking energy.

Welcome to all the other newbies on the thread too .

Ta da

Washing up done
DH did some laundry
Lunch
DFriend, DS2 and myself went swimming in the local pool, then...
Had hot chocolate at a local cafe
Waved DFriend off on her train
Home for dinner
Arranged playdates for DS2 for tomorrow and Friday

To do

Online shopping order
More washing up
Bedtimes at decent times for all of us

dizzy - sorry, missed your update. Hope things improve soon.

NickNacks - great that CHAOS has been averted .

dizzy sorry, just caught that update. So sorry - hope you are okay.

Back again

Done my ironing, and made a small batch of sausage rolls and cheese straws.

DD is now watching Gnomeo & Juliet

Evening all. Have whiled away the afternoon building lots of lego with the dc's and cooked a roast which we have just finished. Am going to be utterly lazy and stack the washing up and do it in the morning.

whoknows it is difficult when you disagree with DH over something and I have no wise advice as DH and I also have disagreements over certain issues relating to DC's and we have never really resolved it. Where food is concerned I do agree with your approach and it has worked with DD. DS is like a human dustbin so have never had issues but DD can be quite fussy. However by simply always putting things on her plate that she doesn't 'like' we have got to a situation where she will now eat things that she wouldn't previously. Never forced the issue but never pandered to her either. We eat as a family and I do refuse to cook 4 different meals so she eats whatever the rest of us are having.

Back to normality tomorrow. DH back to work and xmas decs coming down and big clean in the morning with the promise of the park in the afternoon if DC's help and/or don't get in my way.

Have a lovely evening everyone.

You have my sympathies goth. Gnomeo and Juliet is a truly shite film. We have it on DVD but they are only allowed to watch it upstairs.

ellie - your method is exactly what that book I'm reading recommends to encourage healthy eating. One of the most common mistakes parents make is to stop giving their children the food they dislike, which means they never get a chance to overcome that dislike. I am definitely guilty of this.

Wooooohooooo toffee. I actually did something right in amongst a whole heap of parenting fails

Toffee that is useful to know - am in the same mindset myself about baby steps being achievable.

Thanks all for the welcome. Now to get the dc's to bed and shine my sink!

Ah, but it's only right according to that book, Ellie. My GP would probably think it was wrong! (You just can't win with parenting ).

I LOVE Gnomeo and Juliet

Am only getting away with watching it as DH took DS up to bed nearly 2 hours ago and hasn't come back down. I think he's fallen asleep! more wine and cheese for me

Ta da
Managed to get to the ILs on time still an hour or so earlier than BIL and SIL anyway
Popped back home to pick up BIL/SIL/DN Christmas present and while I was here did half the washing up and put a wash on
Rest of washing up
Wash in td
Took down Christmas Tree and decorations
Hoovered lounge
Shred! (that's my contribition to anti-procrastination day!)
Put 2 coats, one handbag and a scarf into donation bag after sorting coat rack

Now eatign aforementioned cheese....will start being good soon I promise, just have to get rid of all the yummy stuff (plus tomorrow is my birthday so I can eat what I want!)

I haven't shined my sink or changed the fish tank water But I have put the Christmas decs away, stacked the d/w, done a load of washing, tidied the hall, kids bedroom, lounge and hoovered them all and cleared my hot spot in the kitchen. Long way to go though.

The bathroom needs a thorough clean, my bed sheets need changing, the kitchen needs a mop and my recycling is over flowing too. But I'll start again tomorrow.

I wouldn't have done this much today, without knowing I was accountable on this thread I often feel low and struggle to motivate myself, with no H here, I have often left washing up etc as there's no one else to care about it. But I'm sure I'll feel better if I get on top of things.

I'm off work until the 7th so I could really make head way if I dig deep between now and then

Really engels...really? I will let you off because it's your birthday tomorrow but really.

toffee you just rained on my perfect mother parade.

Well done don'tstep. I have done fuck all today.

Oh Engles really? elliepac

Anyway it's finally over, so putting DD to bed in preparation for Sherlock

We've just turned off Gnomeo and Juliet in favour of the darts, the DCs love the darts.

Sorry, ellie - I didn't mean to do that! But just think - that means that you can equally count all the 'parenting fails' as successes, as it's all subjective anyway (within reason)! (And I do really think you can count the feeding thing as a parenting success, so well done to you! ).

I'll take that toffee. Wasn't offended at all. My parenting success parade ended the moment that DD was born. One big parenting fail that one.... apart from her eating obviously.

See whoknows. As we all know, i hate darts. But I would rather watch that than Gnomeo and Juliet. ( sorry engels, I still love you)

My first resolution is not to wear my coat indoors....and yes I am sitting here in my anorak as usual because I'm too lazy to take it off...

done
washed up several saucepans
cooked curried meatballs
went to shop for some minor groceries

Party across the road!!! neighbours...met lots of interesting 60-70 year olds

read Achilles to ds2
art homework with ds2
DS reacted badly to above

dd has sore arms from playing with small children yesterday
ds2 has sore feet from our long walk yesterday
ds1 remains in a good mood but has done sod all today and is still in his pjs at 9pm

Alright my resolutions are:

Dig
swim
read
piano practice

and give up trying to organise myself as it just makes me miserable and I'm so good at lots of other things!!!