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!!

I have spent this evening going through hundreds of pictures. Sorting, organising and finding some that i didn't even know had been taken...

Hmm perhaps i should mention that they were digital pictures...

Congratulations to SillyDS and GrannyPA

Quiet day here. DD decided she wanted to do some sewing so has spent the day at my hand cranked Singer starting off a quilt!

Ta Da

• Rethreaded sewing machine seemingly a hundred times!
• Defrosted unknown tea (turned out to be a stew DH had made that was full of Brussels sprouts)
• DD to dentist (Brushing has improved so no new work needed - phew!)
• Made tea
• Washed pots and shined sink
• DH put out bins and put on D/W
• Ironed DH's shirts for the rest of the week
• Put dry washing away
• Meal plan for the week

Yesterday Ta da
Boys hair cuts
Catch up with friend
Delivered 4 cards to friends that are struggling at the moment.
D/w
W/m
Park
Dog walked
Dinner
T/d
Cleaned kitchen

To do
Cinema
Gym
15 minute bedroom

Congratulations PA.

Thank you very much for all the congratulations. Yes, DH and DD4 are returning in June. Flight is booked they leave Cambodia on 24th and arrive on the 25th! I feel like a teenager looking forward to a first date already!!

I think I might need to return to this thread!! DD1 and DD2 arrived home yesterday for the week. Very good timing for a nephew to make an arrival at the beginning of half term, apparently!! They are here until Sunday, then next friday, 28th, DD3, son in law, grandson and dog all move in here for the next month! They are moving from a very new baby, plus cfs/me UN friendly house.....loads of steps, but cannot move into their lovely new apartment until April. New place is close to me and so much more practical for them all. It should work out well with them being here as they will be able to have their own lounge, and rooms etc. but I will be able to cook and do washing for them as well as be on hand if needed. plus loads of nanny cuddles all day, every day It's just a bit crazy moving house less than 2 weeks after having your first baby!! I imagine my house is going to slip drastically into CHAOS again! It has been quite manageable with just me and DS.

Ellie my thoughts were with you yesterday. ((((hugs)))
Toffee I do hope DH has managed to get some sleep last night and things improve quickly for him.
Massive waves to you all - sorry, I wont name, or I know I would miss someone out, so please accept this as a personal hello to you all.

I will just leave some celebratory for everyone to share. Never too early in the morning for !!!

Or apparently curry, yes I am actually considering curry for my breakfast.

I refuse to google dry socket to see what it involves. Poor chap.

Kids overtired and emotionally wrought today

Think I am going to be chilling in front of tv with them and then tidying in equal measures.

Good morning! [Wipes cake crumbs from corners of mouth]

Ahhh, lovely to have all fledglings back in one nest you back on here PA!! And ovely that you will have the newest member of the family with you until April, and then just around the corner.

And then it's not long until end of June!! Hope the move goes well - good luck with it all!

Toffee hope your dh is ok x

Glad you've made it back home finally Nicknacks (gosh, that's been ages) Hope nothing flood damaged!!!

Hope days goes calmly Eustacia

Merry cold onion bhajis used to be my very favourite of all breakfasts when I was a student!

Dizzy I have a hand-cranked Singer in the roof - I learnt to sew with it - but the tension on it has gone I wonder if it is fixable for dd?

Big waves to Goth Bitchy Silly Swan Feetheart Pushme Engels Blue Whoknows Ellie Castle PeanutPatty Honu Betterandnow Pictures Whispers Cyber Just Humanordancer Alice Thinking101 Stillwearing Blueandwhite Spranged Not2nite and everyone else I've missed!

Have a good day! I've got a busy one so will either be back v. late or v. early tomorrow!

I'm on holiday

I don't like being a parent sometimes. I love my kids. But I really don't like all the parenting tasks. In in a soft play place at the moment. DH can't understand why I'm not enjoying. Duh this is what I do at home!

So did that mahoosive list last week. I will be flying properly when I get back. I'm aiming to refine my bedtime and morning routines, and do a 15 minute declutter per day that does not involve stuffing it all in a bag then into a cupboard.

Happy half term modified flying. You lovely fly thread people.

PA - lovely to hear your news. Looks like you are going to have a very full house for the next few weeks!

Good luck with your busy day, SC.

Hope yesterday went as well as it could do, Ellie. So sorry you and DH are having such a difficult time.

DH is on the mend. Didn't think it would happen so quickly (good idea not to google it, Eustacia), but the dressing that the dentist put on has soothed the pain and maybe the antibiotics have started working already. He was going to the dr to get stronger painkillers this morning, but he doesn't need to now. And he let me have a really long lie in this morning, so I have caught up on much-needed sleep.

Sorry to hear you've suffered the same thing, Swan, but it's heartening to hear that it improved quickly with a/bs.

Ta da

Long lie in
Made pancakes with maple syrup for breakfast
OU work

To do

Washing up
Put washing on
Room rescues
Walk into town to collect boots from cobblers
Friend coming round for lunch
More OU work
Prepare for trip to London with DS2 tomorrow

Oh, and should probably get dressed at some point.

To dos done.

Also managed to get DS1 outside for a walk.

Quiet on here today...

Evening. Not much traffic on here today! Hopefully, those of you who are on holiday, have been out and about enjoying half term!

Bit of a stressful, argumentative one here. Not much Flying done (apart from washing) but was out of the house for most of the day thank heavens.

Tomorrow's baby-step, no 19 for Wed 19th Feb is definitely one to ignore imo. Some pukeworthy testimonial stuff [reaches for sick bucket].

This week we are in Zone 4: The Master Bedroom (Feb 16 – 22) 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 can be found here. Declutter and clean bedside tables and wash bed sheets ready for bed-making on Friday.

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

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!

Thinking101 Oh dear ! Hope holiday gets more relaxing as week goes on!

Toffee glad to hear your dh is at last pain-free!

Evening all,

Glad DH is feeling better today Toffee.

Sympathies over busman's holiday feeling Thinking.

PA - that sounds lovely having DD3 and family back home with you for a few weeks, glad they've found somewhere close by you to move into as well.

SC - sorry today's been stressful, hope tomorrow is better.

A lazy day here today, lazed all morning, then took the DCs to the sports centre for a couple of hours, we hired a court in the sports hall and played tennis, had lunch then went swimming, none of which was at all strenuous, but got us moving and we enjoyed it. DD went round to her friend's house for an hour afterwards, then came home and cooked a cold dinner, laid the table, cleared and washed up, cleaned the bathroom, did some tidying. Which is far more than I did and she's only 8 [proud].

Congratulations to MiniWho for already displaying extraordinary Flying prowess . (And to WhoKnows for extraordinarily good training). Glad you had a happy day, WhoKnows...

... but sorry yours was stressful, SC. Hope tomorrow is better.

More ta das

Did two loads of washing
Washing machine broke (drum won't spin)
Managed to dry washing on radiators
Cooked different meals for different children
Dosed DS2 up with Calpol
Bedtime routine for DS2
Cleared out handbag
Prepared stuff for trip to London tomorrow
Watched 'Breaking Bad' (on the edge of my seat, as usual)
Ironed and put away washing

On one hand, I am annoyed about the washing machine. On the other, I feel a curious sense of liberation because I now have the perfect excuse not to do any washing .

Am taking DS2 to the theatre in London tomorrow. Unfortunately, he has come down with a cold and felt really wretched this evening. He also can't blow his nose (keep trying to teach him), so he sniffs all the time, which is going to go down well in the theatre . Am hoping he feels better by morning, as it's meant to be a special day out for the two of us (DH booked it for us ages ago).

Hope everyone is enjoying the half term (apart from thinking, who is counting the days ).

Thinking - I hear you! I find soft play/the park mind numbingly boring. My DH wouldn't know as he can probably count the number of times he has been on 1 hand!

DD and I went to the cinema today (new TinkerBell film) and then got the shopping in for the week. She offered to hoover out the car (mostly her crumbs) but demanded payment. She is certainly her father's daughter!

Ta Da

• Cinema trip
• Food shopping bought
• Registered DD for a play session on Friday
• DD to park
• Out for a walk/run with DD
• Started preparing tea - DH finished off whilst we showered
• Emptied D/W, added rinse aid and salt
• Washed pots and shined sink

DH got me really annoyed tonight as he told me off for leaving packaging on the side in the kitchen! It's only ever out whilst I have whatever it is in the oven and 99.99% of the time it goes in the recycling before tea is served. He seems to forget that 100% of the time he gets the foil/can opener/scissors etc out to use they are NEVER put away

Morning fledglings!

Sounds like you had a great start to the holidays Whoknows!

And sympathies re: your dh Dizzy, I'd be very back and I think a few choice words would be in order too

Hope your ds2 has recovered sufficiently to go to London Toffee

Busy day ahead, all I've done is put some clothes in the tumble dryer, packed dd's gym bag and showered so far.

Off to do morning routine, run errands and prep small birthday tea party holding for godson and his db.

Have a good day everyone!

dizzy - I would have told dh to 'do one' if he had moaned like that.

hmm. bedroom not so tidy anymore. I am working today so will make an effort later.

And top marks to mini-Whoknows of course!! (Her mother obviously a v. good role model )

Good luck with taming the boudoir later Eustacia!

So far:
morning routine inc dw, wm, rabbits (but dh and dd have left the bathroom in such a state, I shall have to do a rather more thorough s&s later on )
prepped for fortnightly ironing lady
found presents and wrapping paper
carried a load of paniers downstairs

About to get stuck in to fairy cake making!

I am still in my boudoir - in bed However I have painted dd's nails and had a cup of tea...so not all rest

Today I am doing an impression of a zombie and passing out early making babystep 17 work. Time for work . zzzzzzzzzzz

Another slow start today. DD is going to see the Tinkerbell film with her friend this morning while I take DS shopping for new trainers and supplies of tennis balls and shuttlecocks so we can do the Sports centre thing again (had to manage with one manky tennis ball yesterday).

Been rearranging the cats stuff - they are getting back to normal now, the vet said nothing physically wrong with them but that they are showing signs of stress, most likely because of next door's tom continually pressing his nose up to our patio doors. He said we should put all food, litter trays etc out of sight of the doors - easier said than done in a small, open plan house. I'm thinking about getting a water pistol to zap poor Tom with too.

DD was much taken with the Great British Sewing Bee last night and is currently on my bed with the contents of both our sewing boxes making doll's clothes. Sweet!

dizzy - my DH often asks me pointedly to wash up as I'm cooking (which is what I aim to do anyway, but sometimes there are good reasons why it doesn't all get done). Does he do this? Nope! (He would say otherwise ).

Yesterday, we had a free day and we all had a great night's sleep and felt fine all day. Today I'm taking DS2 up to London to see a children's show so, inevitably, I had a dreadful night's sleep: I was woken up at 1am by DS1 (OCD issues), then again at 5 with DS2, who was feeling ill. Have been awake ever since. DS2 has a streaming cold and says his throat is sore and his body aches. He doesn't have a temperature and he has managed to eat a small breakfast. I'm hoping he'll feel better once he's been up for a bit and the Calpol has kicked in. He was really looking forward to the trip, but was in tears this morning, saying he felt too ill .

Am hoping that regular doses of Calpol will get him through - and that he'll forget all about feeling unwell once he's in the theatre. He's never been to the theatre before (DS1 couldn't cope with it, so that has meant DS2 has never been either), so this was a big day for him and he was really looking forward to it.

Will review the situation in an hour or so...

today hasn't gone particularily well, but ended alright. I had some sort of violent kidney pain, and blacked out, dh stepped in, took ds2 out to Victoria &A (that all went brilliantly)

but dd has been awful today, only calmed down when Dad came back and gave her some tasks under supervision. She is still obsessed by this iphone malarkey and although we have agreed she is going to save up for it, she keeps returning to the idea that we are incredibly mean not to buy one for her, when all her friends have one

On further discussion, it turns out that she feels very poor relation to the bling crowd in school, and wants to impress them by having the latest gadgets. She put it like this...I don't want to be the girl at the back of the class reading a book, I want to be one of the popular ones And this is a convent school!!!!!

Further update...today (Wed) is going better, as I feel better dd has a friend over and I have organised someone to come round to meet up with ds1, as he is incapable of organising any meetups himself.. Everyone is a much better mood this morning.

ellie lovely 6 year old, and so sorry that dh has lost his father. The funeral is always just the beginning isn't it? Your own loss must be making it much more poignant.

Tues late at night was the first today by the way...Today is actually Wed

Toffee I bet if you dose ds2 up he will get through it on adrenalin.

Whoknows you need a dog in the back garden for a short while the ultimate tom cat deterrent..just the smell is enough to last a few months.

My first cat was very stressed by potential intruders, and I think he liked sleeping upstairs all day because he knew he was safe there.

Whoknows I must watch sewing bee online. I'm still waiting for dd to get the bug. She made a bag in school, but has now stopped again. But then again, how can thoughts of sewing compete with thoughts of iphones