June 2014: half way through the Flying year, fledglings get themselves in gear!

[slackcabbage]

Heartfelt and huuuumungous thanks to Goth for being such a superlative, consistent and professional thread leader throughout May (and wow to all those fantastic round-ups every night).

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 and along the way.

Flylady link here.

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):

1. start or repeat baby steps

1. repeat baby steps + do 15 mins a day decluttering in the current zone

1. 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!

Three key 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.

If you are new then trying to spend 15mins decluttering and the babysteps is the most. Some of us (mentioning no names!) can have scary looking lists but don't let that worry you! Do what you can, anything is better then nothing, and don't judge yourself against others.

If all else fails, a + the power of three technique + a bit of support on here can work wonders!

Oh and don’t let it put you off if we appear a bit cliquey – some of us have been on here for years – but all lurkers, oldies and newcomers very very welcome!

A bright sunny day here too. Am hoping to get the boys outside in it later - and make use of the good drying weather for washing.

DS2 is trying to earn money for a new DS game, so we have agreed that he can earn 20p per chore. As a result, he spent yesterday afternoon tidying his room, making his bed, washing his bedroom windows, pairing up the socks and hanging all his clean clothes up. And this morning he brought me breakfast in bed . I have always thought I shouldn't link money to chores, but this is so effective that I'm sticking with it for the moment. It's incredible to realise how competent he is too.

I have just forced myself to do some ironing, but at least I've been able to hand over the ironed clothes to DS2 to hang up .

Now I have to re-read or rewrite my OU essay. Hope no one knocks at the door because I'm still in my dressing gown, unwashed and scary looking.

ellie I have 4 projects and the books have been back and forth between my car and my cupboard so many times. Going to get good momentum going today and let it carry on into this evening. I am two thirds of the way through my most difficult class to mark (unit on commedia dell'arte).

Next up Staging Shakespeare unit.

Then radio play, then scary plays.

I will get there, I will get there.

Sidetracked for half an hour by my mother calling, now ready to keep going forward.

BBL!

Found you all - as I slink in quietly. I too am determined to make June the new Jan - staring today!

Yesterday Ta Da

• Beds stripped and remade
• Linen washed and hung on line to dry (nice weather here too)
• Washed gigantic mountain of dishes/pots that I'd been avoiding for days
• Tried to book a summer holiday (scuppered by incredulous blank stares from travel agent when we mentioned the words "Dubai" and "All Inclusive" in the same sentence)!!
• Went for a run

I have signed up to participate in Juneathon in an effort to a) do more exercise and b) resurrect my neglected blog and hopefully my sewing (so I have something to write about!)

BBL with todays's list. x

Helloo! Glad to here the sun has come out in quite a few bits of UK!

Relaxing Sunday here (at last thank heavens) which is very welcome as we are all shattered. But dh and I taking it in turns to go and see/feed/converse with computer engineers who are in the office trying to put right catastrophic event earlier in the week (long story). DD just has choir practice today and that's it. She has even, miracle of miracles, already finished her homework!

So far have put on a load to wash and am about to hang it out to dry on the terrace and re-boot laundry. (Also intend to sort out laundry room which has got a bit out of hand in the last fortnight with stuff literally just being shoved in washer, in dryer and then shoved in messy ironing, piles due to lack of time).

Then dd and I had a nice relaxing time sorting through her hair bobble and clip drawer of doom which had got in a terrible tangle, while I listened to the Archers with one ear which is all it requires

Stomach seems to have sorted itself out a bit so have more energy today!

Good luck with the mega-marking session Engels (my dsis is doing the same thing atm; she is newly retired but is assessing dissertations atm because the money is quite good)

Toffee nowt wrong with a bit of bribery here and there

Good you are having a non-stressful day Carpe which I am sure is very welcome [hands over soothing anti-sun cream]

I'm with you re: renewed determination to get things done in June Alice!

Hope you can find some time for yourself among those lists Mercury

Sorry to hear about the pox Ellie and good luck with the decorating

Big waves to Whoknows and Droitwich and everyone else!! Enjoy the sunshine everyone and remember to take some time out for yourself today! You deserve it!

Ooohh Dubai Dizzy lots of quality horse flesh there!!! [excited emoticon]

I had good intentions of getting up and getting stuff done. My body decided other wise. Apparently it needed the sleep ? So i have 3 hrs to turn a room that looks like a bomb had gone off into something that is tidy enough for people to come play with ds next week during his half term. I suppose i should move but it is feeling a bit like effort. Back to not drinking coffee/caffine I actually feel worse when i am drinking it and sleep quality is shockingly bad. Considering making cake today. Not sure why I am not supposed to be eating it. :(

Ta da:-
Order restored in living room
Order restored in kitchen
Order restored in hallway
Order restored in bathroom
Order restored in dc's rooms
Washing ongoing
Drying ongoing

To do:-
Roast dinner
Marking gcse papers
Washing
Drying
Putting away

Back later

Phew. Essay well and truly finished and dispatched into the ether.

Still in my dressing gown, but I have at least fed the children.

About to get dressed now and suggest an outing into the fresh air for the boys. Feeling guilty that they've been neglected all day (not that they're complaining - I can hear the strains of Minecraft on YouTube downstairs).

I fell asleep in the bath it is now time to head off for a long drive and collect ds. Arses. not very productive week really. And not the best way to start july

Arses make that June

Just finished class number 2 (staging Shakespeare) as DH and DS arrived home.

DH now starting dinner while I amuse a sleepy and grumpy DS (he fell asleep in the car on the way back).

I'm in the groove now though so will carry on with marking this evening once DS is in bed out of the way. Going to tackle the radio plays and leave the least complex for last. perhaps I will be bale to do it tomorrow while DS is otherwise occupied bambi don't fail me now Have a few errands to run tomorrow though and having lunch with a friend so not sure quite how successful I'll be!

Once this is done I can focus on organising my last assessments of the school year/End of Year tests before planning my new curriculums for next year (change of syllabus for both my subjects, plus new time allocation for Arts so will be a mammoth job - plus I will be leaving for ML just before Christmas so it'll all have to be ready for my cover...though they'll have to find some other mug to do the Christmas show this year )

onwards, onwards.

We are all sleepy and grumpy.

It's been a beautiful day here - rather annoyed with myself for wasting the only good drying day for ages by forgetting to do any washing though!

Had a lovely day with ILs and a nice pub lunch so no cooking or washing up. :)

Got quite a lot of cleaning done in the end too before they arrived - one of those things where spotting a grubby mark leads to getting out an eraser sponge, and then to tracking down everything else in the house it could clean!

Sorry to hear about pox, Ellie

Well done on the essay, Toffee and marking Engels

Big waves to everyone else and to SC for taking on this month, and to Goth for May.

Evening!

Ta da:-
Washing
Drying
Marked 200 answers
Cooked roast dinner
Ate roast dinner al fresco
Acquired DS's BF for sleepover ( no school for DS tomorrow)

DD fell asleep after dinner on the sofa bless her so she is tucked up. DS is playing Minecraft and DH has gone for a bath. I am catching up with tv.

Evening all!

Congrats on your v. productive Sundays! Hope you all managed to get some r & r too!

Am completely zonked this evening, so if you'll forgive me I'm going to (in a very un- Goth -like way - apologies) not round up this evening and just post links and crash!

*

Baby-step no. 2 for Mon 2nd June 2014 is the controversial one: getting dressed to lace-up shoes.

Newcomers: not of all of us do this, but this is the theory behind it if you are interested.

This week, we are starting again in Zone 1: Entrance, Front Porch & Dining Room (June 01 – 07) here

Newcomers: more info about zones here

Declutter in Zone 1for 15 minutes a day!

Tomorrow's mission (and all the missions for the week ahead) can be found here. Monday's mission is to sweep the area around your front door, wipe your front door down, and shake out your doormats.

Monday's daily focus is: the weekly home blessing hour or "home bleugh" as we call it. If you are new to this then read info here.

The monthly habit for June is drinking more water.

To summarise the above, Monday's flight plan can be found here and will update itself on a daily basis.

Have a good start to the month everyone!

Okay, am calling it quits for tonight. Managed to marked two groups out of five on my radio plays. Amazing annoyingly how long it takes.

But managed to flutter round the house between dinner and DS bed time to get a few things done.

Ta da
washing up
cleaned hob
emptied kitchen bin and recycling
washed out ds and dh swim things
swept kitchen floor
sorted washing from yesterday into basket for upstairs and ironing pile
wrote a shopping list and to do list for tomorrow

tomorrow
supermarket
post letters
2 lots of washing
lunch with friend
finish radio play marking

we're all sleepy and grumpy sc

Drum roll.............I bought a feather duster today!!!!!

So now I am ready to jump back in again! New month, new me!
Hope everyone has been well?
xx Castle

That's a moment to remember castle

Can I join in?

I was about to start a thread which would have been titled something along the lines of "I am drowning in stuff, my house is too untidy to clean and I'm desperate(ly miserable)"

SC arf at un-Goth like, all I seemed to do was apologise for late round ups

Done
Got out of bed -after yesterday's digging it was an achievement
Hung laundry out
Went on forage walk
Got rained on, on way home with no jacket
Got in only slightly damp laundry, this is why I risk hanging out under trees
Watched the Last Airbender with poorly DD
Ironed
Worked on treasure map and clues for Wednesday's woodcraft
Paperwork FB
Updated Woodcraft emails & FB
Dinner
Washing up & SS
Changed bedding
Laundry in for tomorrow

Am now enjoying salt & vinegar crisps and considering

Sorry, welcome Eyelet sounds like you'll fit right in.

Main thing to remember is the house didn't get in a mess overnight so it won't get tidy overnight. That's why we have Babysteps.

Mine are going to be later than yours Goth - an hour ahead here - makes more of a difference than one imagines ...sorry to hear your dd is poorly!

You are very very welcome Eyelet Take it slowly at the beginning and you'll soon see a difference!

Yay Castle good to see yee!

Don't overdo it Engels but well done re: the marking!

Am still sleepy and grumpy And yes, I lied, I haven't gone to bed yet. There's always one more thing to do ... .

June may be the new January - but not in this house today! am away Monday - Wednesday at a three day workshop in Stoke so not much chance of any flying for the next few days either.

Thanks goth for May and SC for June. It's about time I volunteered for another month I think. I think my last one was June last year

Hello eyelet jump in and remember it is impossible to be behind

Thanks for the warm welcome! Under a different name I existed on fly threads a few years ago, really helped me discover at the ripe old age of thirty something that cleaning just a little every day helped.

However. I seem to be stuck in a worse situation now in that I simply can't clean and tidy because we have toomuchstuff and I have no time to get on top of everything that needs doing. We've got to the point of managing to keep the kitchen clean (washing up always done, highchair and floors wiped down before DH and I go to bed). Just about keep on top of the washing but only just, still feels like I'm constantly shifting piles of laundry around.

Six deadly triggers seem to have been;
1 - moving house twice in a year then having a baby once we moved so boxes have been stored in a lobby, we've just started to unpack boxes which haven't been touched in four years.

2 - having a baby that never sleeps so we are all exhausted

3 - me returning to work FT and doing 3 x 12h days, DH covers childcare pickups, mealtimes and bed on those days so is exhausted several nights a week.

4 - building work which has meant moving stuff in and out of boxes and dirt everywhere

5 - my relapse into depression

6 - DH made redundant a year ago, he got a new job but it meant that for a while we had to live very frugally and I bought bundles of clothes to save money for the DC. Storage and sorting these seems to have taken over upstairs.