Feisty Fledgling Flyers flutter through Feb with flair, finesse, flaws, failures, fortitude, feedback, fiascos, fabulousness, friendship and fun!

[sanschocolat]

[The fiascos are all mine btw !!]

And just for Just, February is the new January that was the new January before

If you are struggling 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 wine and cake 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 something 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!

It’s up to you, but 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!

Points to keep in mind:
(1)No perfectionism allowed - this is harder than you would imagine
(2)You are never behind just start where you are and anything you do is progress.
(3) 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.

Humungous thanks to Bitchy for steering us through the hectic January thread and for the wise three-line mantra above.

All regulars, lurkers and newcomers welcome!!

Alice yes we did ths last year with huge pile. It is raining and snowing so I cant do this.

You know what I might pack it all up into a box and put in garage

There you go - box it up and put it away for a fire at a later date.

psssttttt.... out of sight, out of mind!

thinking I'm having people over on Friday, and I'm anxious about it too, so we could hold hands . And it's my own sister and her three teenagers, so no pressure at all I just find having people to dinner very stressful, due to self imposed ideas about what having people to dinner consists of. It is the combination of: getting dressed up, tidying house, AND making a nice supper that floors me.
My failsafe menu is now soup or pate(can be prepared in advance) something that can be baked in the oven, and then kept warm - ie: baked potatoes, ratouille, meat or chicken portions and crumble for pudding. Still hate the prep though. If only my children ate quiche and salad.

A bit of utility is tidied.
Another load of washing on

Whoknows we find that our cats do better on a bit of wet food every now and then as they don't take in enough water on dry, even with water to hand. One of our cats did have a crystal on kidneys problem, which caused him to need to go several times a day, but so far none of the others have ever had that issue.

Well if you are so am I alice i feel the same way about shredding and burning.

Busy day. Hospital appointment which went well and then i got told off by the pharamcist and been told to go see my GP re this none fucking off completely sinus infection.

Have also been out to play in the snow and run a few errands just brewing up and then getting ds from school before sorting some more bits and bobs out if i have the energy.

Well, I've booked the cats into the vets this evening for a checkup, just in case. Had to book both in as I'm not sure which one it is, I can see this is a definite drawback of having more than one. They do have a mixture of wet and dry food, they share a Felix pouch in the morning and another in the evening, then have dry food in the middle of the day and some late at night.

I had 4 or 5 loads of washing to do today and the bloody door seal's gone on the WM, so I am having to sit by it and keep an eye on it, and have towels piled up in front of it, it's going to be one of those days. Just trying to work out what model it is to buy a spare.

Neither child at school today, but DS1 did manage to go in and say hello to the staff at his learning centre, which was a big achievement for him. Am hoping it makes things easier for him tomorrow.

DS2 is still coughing and sneezing.

Have spent most of today rewriting the statement application and compiling all the supporting documents. DH and I thought we were going to explode with frustration at one point when one document persisted in printing in pink, but he sorted it in the end. And as for the constant interruptions from the children - it's amazing we got anything done at all.

Delivered application in person, so it's done now. Huge relief. Not sure whether to tell school or wait for them to find out from LEA.

Is it too early for yet?

If you are asking toffee You are clearly a novice

Go for it Toffee - I'd be joining you if I didn't have to drive later. Well done on the statement stuff. I think I would inform the school, just to be polite. A brief email inviting no questions.

Got the cat box out of the loft and put the cats favourite blanket inside ready for later. One has gone straight into it. Bet they won't later. I need to go to school in a minute, see someone there, come home, get DD to ballet and back, then in the space of an hour get the DCs fed, DS changed into his Cub uniform and round to a friends, load two cats into their basket and get to the vet.

I am shattered, work, 5.30 start, half marathon training, dog and dc is all takining it toll!!

Managing to fly a bit, but not managing to keep up with the thread. I will lurk until the end of the week and try and get back on the wagon.

To who ever ask, War Horse was amazing and a must see performance. It was brilliant from start to end. Desperately would love to take the Dcs but it is not cheap!!

No tonight, but I've got a bit of lager for the weekend. One for Friday and one for Saturday evening, to be mixed with lemonade. Lovely little something to look forward to.

My 4yo noticed the results of the decluttering, so I guess I'm happy thus far. I moved the microwave the other day, and my 7yo kept saying "something is different." So I told him to guess what it was. My mistake. His response? "The cooker is clean?" (to be fair, it was clean, but it generally is anyway... sort of.)

I have bodged the WM seal with the piece of rubber that fell out and some sticky tape, got it on again and arranged for another parent to bering DD home from Brownies, cleared up the kitchen floor (where the WM leaked earlier) and am feeling calmer. I have also salvaged 5 balls of wool out of about 20, but may manage a few more later (they are all tangled up).

Alice - well at least he noticed! .

Firemen have been most of the day, along with water board and national grid. Full assessments been done along with some drainage work and they’ve organised to come back. Have managed to do food shop, and am knackered.
Still to do
English
Physics
Listen to friend
Dinner
Sleep

Toffee congratulations on getting assessment application in.
I’d let the Senco know it’s gone in, as it allows good one’s to allocate time for dealing with it.

I'm still here ... on sofa...lots of procrastination. Im just tired today

Must go have thing at the school whooppeeee doooo.

Yesterday and today's Ta Da:
Made appt for Miaow
Emailed British Gas - I did call them but the helpful person on the phone their end cut me off instead of transferring me and I lost the will to live frankly
S&S
Washing
Clean laundry away
Dog walked
Rubbish cleared from car
Did some puzzles with the children
Watched some of the Winter Olympics!

Still got lots to do and must make a start on the bathroom tomorrow and my other room will be the airing cupboard which is one of those cupboards you hope nobody opens as everything will fall on top of them. Will try and catch up properly once the miniPP's are sound asleep and I'm drowning in wine.

Not had a chance to read anyone's updates yet.

done
pancakes x 2 batches
supper (reheated fish pie, potatoes, bacon, salad)
two lots of homework feebly encouraged
picked up ds2 from school
utility room is cleared
cleared out fridge
swept floor in utility
2 dishwashers loaded
swept kitchen floor

watched lots of CBBC with children, now onto the Winter Olympics
dh has gone to bed with flu, after a business lunch and auction

so lovely to have a nice tidy telly room!!! I am admiring the clear surfaces.

whoknows you are a heroine [shudders at thought of the juggling of afterschool clubs I used to do - how did I do it?
However I have replaced children who needed to be taken everywhere, with stroppy teens who don't want to go anywhere which is a bit sad

Evening all! Hope you are all OK and keeping your feet dry.

[Pretends not to see DontstepontheMomeRaths ]

[Arranges fluffy cushions and blankets in recuperation corner for Thinking101 upon her return from school, and for Merry also]

re: Warhorse

Glad the authorities are finally girding their waders Just Hope you can rest a bit tomorrow!

Good your efforts are being noticed Alice and well done re: continued decluttering!! I think we are perhaps a bit odd, we don't own a toaster. (Use griddle instead.) Like the look of that one though!

PeanutPatty Well done re: your list. Sympathies re: British gas and call being cut off etc. We are in the midst of a surreal Kafkaesque debacle with the Belgian equiv; who send someone out on a weekly basis to cut off our gas and electricity supply (well, by law, they are not allowed to cut them off totally but they put a cap on your supply) even though our bills are fully paid and everything up to date. This goes back to one missed payment in nine years which occurred during the summer owing to a banking error. Anyway, the provider isn't talking to the supplier or vice versa and we are obviously on some sort of list or database from which it is impossible to remove oneself despite numerous phone calls, registered letters, solicitor's letter etc.

It's got to the point now where I know the two men who come quite well (both very nice blokes) and we have a chat and a cup of coffee, roll our eyes and have a laugh at the stupidity of it all, I sign a chit to say they have paid a visit, we call head office (to absolutely no good effect whatsoever) and then they potter off again... totally bizarre!! Needless to say, dh isn't finding it quite so amusing!! I honestly think he may commit murder the next time they turn up!!

Thinking101 and Swan I'll join the pre-guest anxiety hand-holding circle if I may. Have invited people over on Saturday, couple + dc of 14, 11 and 3.5. Parents are adventurous eaters, dc are not. Haven't decided on menu yet which always makes me anxious!! Not sure I can face the physical/mental effort (house not easy to beat in to guest-ready state) which sound ridiculous I know but I always feel like this beforehand and enjoy it afterwards! Want to produce some lovely hearty warming big "cut in to and share dish" but can't think of anything they will all like!!

Swan totally agree re: all the wretched written theory involved in what are supposedly vocal/aural/'practical' subjects!!!!! Desperately off-putting!!

Glad you managed to fix the wm machine Whoknows it is stressful when they break down on you. Hope vet gives furries the all clear and arf at cupboard-opening cat!

Toffee well done for getting the statement application finished despite interruptions

Hope your dd2 feels better soon Eustacia

Waves to Feetheart - glad the fraud was spotted before any harm one. Rabbits love to lie on the laundry pile here (but fortunately haven't peed on it as yet I hope).

Waves from a fellow procrastinator to Humanordancer! That's a very respectable list you have got through there! Safe travelling.

Good your parents are safe Blue!

Ta da:
morning routine inc dw, wm, s&s, rabbits
parish vestiare (clothes sorting and delivery)
lunch with friend
deeply demoralising meeting with school
supermarket shop
chemist run
school run
emptied dishwasher
hwk supervision 'plus petit commun multiple' and 'adjectif épithète qualificatif'
spag bol served and cleared up
hung up dark wash
re-booted laundry
evening routine inc rabbits again
drank

Absolutely no Flying other than basic routines.

x post

Sorry to hear your dh is ill Swan and top marks for clearing utility room
at fish pie and dw x2

Whoknows yes, meant to say, hope you survived the logistical nightmare of the after-school activities this evening

And waves to Bitchy and everyone else!

**

Tomorrow's baby-step, no 12, for Wed 12th Feb is one to ignore about deleting Flylady emails having (hopefully) not subscribed in the first place.

Tomorrow and all this week (9-15 Feb) we are in zone 3: the Bathroom and one extra room here.

Declutter for 15 mins a day in this zone!

Once you have decluttered, you can if you wish go on to detailed cleaning.

Wednesday's mission is here. Sort medicine cabinet and declutter child's sock drawer.

The daily focus for Wednesday is: anti-procrastination. Do something you have been dreading!

The monthly habit for February is still : decluttering 15 mins a day.

A summary of the above plus reminders can be found here in the flight plan which updates itself daily.

G'night all!

*

Wooooooooo hooooooooooooo I did the mission on sunday.

As for anti procrastination. looking like it will be a rest in bed then work then ds' training only kinda day. feeling pretty damn awful and getting worse as the evening goes on. Guess make doc appointment is on the anti procrastination list.

Must be the special brew Bitchy bestowing special divining powers

Hope you feel better soon!

I think i was rather helped by ds' expensive habit of growing atm.