July 2014: fledglings follow Flylady's tuition (don't forget your pamper mission)

[ToffeeWhirl]

A big thank you to slackcabbage for superb thread leadership throughout June, as well as a great intro which I am going to shamelessly borrow from now.

Struggling with C.H.A.O.S. (can't have anyone over syndrome) and S.T.U.F.F. (something that undermines family fun)? In that case, you need Flylady.

Flylady is a system for managing housework. Starting with babysteps, it builds up into a routine which becomes second nature. In theory, once you are used to the system, you will have a tidy house you are not embarrassed by and plenty of time to get on with more interesting things.

Flylady banishes the panicky "rabbit in headlights" feeling when you are overwhelmed and everything needs doing all at once. If you fall off the Flylady bandwagon, it’s no problem: you just jump back in where you are and carry on.

Don't sign up for the Flylady emails as you will be inundated! All the information you need will be linked here on this thread on a daily basis.

From the first of the month, Flylady's steps and routines will be listed here on this thread.

Flylady uses 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 detailed deep cleaning in each zone for those who have made real progress – not sure if anyone has reached this pinnacle yet…? I certainly haven’t).

More info here on getting started (but ignore step one!) and Flying lessons. Here's the launch pad for more experienced fledglings.

Try to ignore Flylady’s purple prose (hard, I know) - the underlying system is sound!

Three key points to keep in mind:

1. No perfectionism allowed - this is harder than you would imagine.

1. You are never behind - just start where you are and anything you do is progress.

1. It didn't get into a mess overnight, it won't get tidy overnight - accept it will take time to get on top of things and you will be happier.

If you are new, then trying to spend 15 mins decluttering and doing the babysteps is the most you should expect of yourself. Lots of us here like posting our ‘to do’ or ‘ta da’ lists and they can look quite scary. Don’t be put off.

If all else fails, try the power of three – just pick three things that most need doing and focus on those.

And if you have visitors coming over this afternoon and need a quick fix NOW, try Flylady's crisis clean.

We all know each other pretty well on this thread and some of us have been around for a long time, but all lurkers, oldies and newcomers are very welcome!

Exactly with the marmite. My friend loves hers, but mine just didn't work for me. Hey ho, I think I'm just weird!

x post whoknows thank you for (very sage) words and advice re: health issues. No thirst or constant weeing I'm pleased to say but still worth having a test I reckon to nip any issues in bud before they develop further.

Wow at annual memory/scrap books for your children! You are so efficient!

So sorry about tonight! (Wish I lived around the corner and could baby-sit for you!) Dh is always dashing off on last minute business trips so I know how frustrated and powerless it can make one feel - especially when you have taken the trouble to organise everything in advance. Hope you can find a workable solution!

Do jobs completed by your parents count? Mine have just left and the house feels so much more organised. Kitchen sparkling, laundry up to date, blind fitted in dds room, diy odd jobs list completed.....all I did was cook and shine my sink....must invite them to stay more!

done
took stuff to tip
about to do a second run before picking up ds2 (he had a bad time on the bus yesterday - Year 10s were making click noises at him and pretending he was a robot so I am reverting to plan A, use car in hot weather as he says tube is too far to walk

SC I often get that spacy feeling, I fear it is old age mixed with sugar regulation. Reading Eyelet's post I realise I have so little energy...after a broken night like that I would be out cold on the sofa let alone do all the stuff she has done and is planning to do. Just eaten three Jaffa cakes, that is what going to the tip seems to do to me You btw, seem to have achieved a lot of energetic things this morning too

So, back to the car for further refuse delights...

Whoknows I would just take dd. I think then the Cub leaders will realise that it is not so easy for you to help in this sort of situation, and ds might find it less bad than he thinks get used to it I hate these Scylla and Charybdis moments when you are letting someone down, whatever you do.

To be honest, the Cub Leaders would probably be fine about it, there are 5 of them so parents aren't absolutely essential, it was more that DS is going up to Scouts soon and nights like this (a 5k gentle hike) are likely to be replaced by far more strenuous ones and DS won't want his mum tagging along any more. DH's work is more important in the grand scheme of things (self employed and main breadwinner). Bracing myself for a chat with DS as soon as we get home from school.

I surived early training, had a lovely catch up with a couple of friends and have just squeezed some physio in before going to get ds. The physio has killed me. Hot bath will be needed after the school run. Ouchies god does it feel good to be back training

Tomo is a rest day, the only plan i have for today is to do enough laundry that i have clothes to wear tomo and to dye my hair. Flying? meh.

whoknows if your ds is anything like my ds then I would prefer to let down the leaders than to have a forever resentful child who would meltdown because I broke a promise like that. It is a hard decision and you will be wrong whatever, good luck!

Not much achieved here today as I was pooping myself about the filling I've just had done. Total dental phone and thought I was going to vomit as I sat down and then nearly passed out after the injection - yuk but done now so a small ta da! Well done to everyone who has managed to achieve more than me today - I'm back on it tomorrow!

Today was my errand day. I've run all over the place and now I'm exhausted. Easy tea tonight. Pizza and garlic bread. Then I'm putting my feet up and relaxing.

But.... Friday I can get my wallpaper paste and start PUTTING UP MY WALLPAPER!!! (sorry, I'm very excited!)

So being a mum my to do list for whilst being in the bath is as follows:
Deal with crisis one wrt to some kit ds was trying to do - no batteries
Deal with ds throwing strop over the kit not doing what it should
Go through instructions with ds
deal with ds throwing strop over being hungry
send ds on hunt for various items of food.
soak muscles and get clean
Pelvic floor exercises

Now I think i might find a nice cold drink and figure out what to do about the fragile state ds is in before I can reasonable send him to bed. is it bedtime yet?

Excuse my language but...

Some arsehole smashed in to the back of DH's car yesterday in the car park, leaving no note or details. So fucking cross.

I also need to pluck up the courage to ask my mum a massive financial favour. Does anyone have any advice on how to phrase it so she doesn't feel like she has to help if she can't/doesn't want to? I know she'd do anything for me but I don't want her to feel like she has to say yes because she can't say no iyswim.

Ta da
Morning of boring meetings at school run by people who like the sound of their own voices
Ordered 150 euros of maternity clothes

Felt rubbish so headed home early to flop on sofa and am planning on working from home tomorrow as I'm just exhausted (only inset/planning so I can just do it here). Mw checked my blood pressure yesterday and very low which explains why I feel so rubbish.

To do
Eat tub of chocolate ice cream
Pray that DS has a lay in tomorrow so I can too

Sorry for lack of personals - there is ice cream to be eaten and praying to be done!

Never worked that one out NickNacks... Parents (well my DF) reduce me to the default state of 8 years old.

Well, I feel amazing. Seriously, like a new woman. Never going near hormonal contraception again! I'm not hungry. First time in about 4 months. Long may it continue!

Just caught back up with all your goings on after a hectic weekend.

DD was at a gala on Saturday so I spent 9 hours poolside . At least she came home with a new PB (50m Breast) and a confirmed time for her 200m breast. One more gala left this season (20th) so going to try to cram some running into her over the next week or so to try to gain some extra fitness!

On Sunday we popped over to my Mum's (as she moves house on Thurs) but due to Silverstone being in the way was diverted which added an extra hour both ways.

As the house was still OK after Friday's blitz I just did a couple of loads of laundry yesterday as well as getting some food for the week in. DD came home from school with a fantastic report (4Bs across the board) so we went out for sushi as a treat (her choice!)

Today I have dome even less but I need to book some airport car parking and organise travel insurance as we go away in a fortnight

Round-up time...

WhoKnows is struggling with loom bands and Hama beads. She has bravely decided to fit morning showers for DC into her morning routine. She also had a quandary over whether or not to take DD to Cubs with DS. (Tricky one, that. What did you decide?)

SC was up at 4.17am after an early night. She sympathises with struggles over DC's bathtimes (glad I'm not the only one). By midday, she wasn’t feeling well at all and complained of feeling tired and constantly hungry. (Sounds worrying. Anaemia, maybe? Definitely worth a trip to the GP).

Bitchy has been up early for training and caught up with friends. She is looking forward to a rest day tomorrow. Sensibly, she reminded us all about pelvic floor exercises.

Droit sensibly prioritised pamper mission over Flying.

Feet had a child-free day to focus on work and then rewarded herself with a chat with a friend.

Carpe is delighted to be coil-free at last and feels like a new woman .

Feet has inspired many fledglings by making a scrap book of primary school years for her DD.

Swan can see out of her windows at last. She had to collect DS2 from school after Yr 10s were mean to him . (Hope that's a one off).

Eyelet has been coping with sleepless babies, poorly DH and pouring hot tea on her stomach. She roped in a friend so she could tackle the house bleugh whilst friend looked after the baby.

Lostprince has fantastic parents who have done loads of Flying for her. (Can we all borrow them?).

Fraggle was really brave and faced her fear of dentists and had a filling.

Alice is looking forward to putting wallpaper up .

Engels has low blood pressure and is feeling exhausted. She needs to take things easy .

Dizzy spent nine hours by the pool! MiniDizzy did really well in swimming gala and school report .

Back soon with linkies.

Tomorrow is Babystep Number 9: keep up with your routines and add a five-minute room rescue to your morning routine.

Wednesday's focus is anti-procrastination day: take care of the things you've been putting off.

Wednesday's mission is to declutter your fridge.

Flight plan for tomorrow is here.

Agree about the pelvic floor exercises, the routine I am supposed to do daily focuses on that area and makes a big difference.

Got sorted for the evening in the end . Original plan was that I gave a lift to DS, friend 1 and friend 2 to the start of the hike 5km away, then when we got back to the scout hut friend 2's mum would walk the boys home while a leader drove me back to get the car. We decided that DD would just come with me on the hike, Ds grudgingly agreed to this, then remembered that if DH wasn't at home there would be no one to let my DCs in when Friend 2's mum took them home. So, luckily, Friend 1 agreed to let DD stay at her house for the duration and to take DS in with her DS to wait for me. So, we all got home about half an hour ago, it was a nice walk and everyone is happy. Dh is home too. I could have done without the hassle though. It was very wet, got to get Ds's trainers dry for his school trip tomorrow, I'm going on that too.

Not much Flying, was at work during school hours and ballet with DD afterwards. I decided to add yet another thing to the DCs morning routine today which is putting away their clean clothes, like the baths it is getting pushed out of evenings by activities, so into the morning routine it goes. Went fine today.

Nick - sorry about the car, don't really have any suggestions for the parents, maybe along the lines of "we are planning to borrow some money for x" and see if they take the hint.

Oh,Nick , so sorry - I somehow missed you out of the round up . Really sorry to hear about the car - how awful. Best of luck with asking your DM for a financial favour. I would just be honest, I think, and say what you've said here, ie. you completely understand if helping you is out of the question.

WhoKnows - so glad to hear you sorted out the problem with your DC this evening. Your morning routine sounds impressive.

Re finances always be honest and have a plan to payback the money before asking to borrow it IYSWIM - crappy about the car, hope you're all ok.

Felt as though I've achieved nothing this evening except have a poorly baby sleep on my lap. Didn't do any work

However. Drumroll please. I have found the DCs birth certificates missing for one year, discovered in different filing piles. I can finally open bank accounts for them. Hallelujah!

Okay. I am taking "antiprocrastination" day to heart. I am going to make a list of things I have been putting off ... first thing tomorrow... hahahahaahhaa, no I'll make the list tonight before I go to bed.

I cleaned out the fridge the other day (it was practically empty right before the grocery shop, so it seemed the best time to do it), so at least that's done.

I am slowly moving into "operation Christmas" ... I know... it makes me public enemy number one. But there are a number of things I want to organise and start working on, not the least of which is my "elf list." We have a Christmas elf assigned to our house. The dcs never see him, but he leaves little notes on the tree and sometimes little gifts and sometimes he gets into mischief. He comes and goes from his magic elf door that will magically appear by the Christmas tree on the 1st of December and disappear on Christmas Day (as his job, obviously, will be over then). he uses the magic door to pop back and forth to report to Father Christmas, watching for any last minute changes to the naughty/nice list. It kept me busy last year, so I'd like to have some plans well ahead of time this year.

I'll move into Operation Christmas when the DCs go back to school, I used to be in the not doing anything till December camp, but have gradually pulled myself back to the start of autumn term which works really well. I just can't do the make-believe stuff with the DCs, I struggle with the tooth fairy and FC himself, so I have the greatest admiration for those that can pull it off Aiice.

OK, unpacked rucksacks from tonight, done packed lunches and found wellies for tomorrow (it's going to be a messy field trip rather than a cultural one). Also sorted out bits for DD's dress rehearsal in the evening. Listened to the football on the radio, poor Brazil. Done my exercises. Stuffed DS's trainers with newspapers and shut them in a room with the dehumidifier, hopefully they will be ok for tomorrow.

Hope baby feels better soon Eyelet.

Thank you for the roundup Toffee - they are very helpful when the thread is so busy.

who knows have you got an airing cupboard? That's where wet shoes are banished to here!

And babylet appreciates the get well wishes - she's still sleeping on me!

Morning! Up again after crashing early. V annoying but drinking tea and trying to go with the flow as nowt much happening tomorrow thankfully! I lurve the holidays!!

Good news (sort of) is that dh came home with exactly same symptoms as me; so think we both have some sort of low level virus.

DD is being a bit 'challenging'. She is at that tricky stage in between being worked like a Trojan at school and relaxing in to the holiday schedule. The transition is never easy (recognise the signs now!) She's still at the point where, if she is not fully occupied every second of every day (as they have been drilled to be at school) she goes in to serious meltdown.

She'd attended a two-hr art/sculpture workshop yesterday morning, I'd played 'shops' and 'creche' and 'Monopoly' with her, we'd packed parcels together, cooked together, visited our departed friends' cat, done some brief errands in the rain, sorted out some old clothes, written to her godmother, and I still found her yesterday evening sitting in her homework corner feverishly copying out blurbs from the backs of pb bks and doing sums! It was as if she couldn't quite leave the security of the school routine behind... such is the 'drilling' here... . I think I am the only mother in the land who is happy when her child turns on the Disney channel and flops on the sofa (which usually starts happening by end of week three/four btw!)

Ta da continued:
Yay - finally finished on-line parcel returns (why I always procrastinate over these and nearly miss the deadline I do not know - they are always so easy to do in reality )
packed up niece's b'day present and card
two more loads washing
one bag of old clothes and shoes to recycling bin
took dh's shirts in to laundry
bought a few stationery supplies
bakery run
took summer shoes in to be stretched
friends' cat fed, watered and stroked
on-line banking
cooked chicken curry and rice with veg

Nicknacks I'm so sorry about the car and all the unnecessary expense involved in putting it right. Can't believe someone could do that and just drive off . Re: asking for money, I know it sounds a bit wierd but I would write a note (or send an e-mail) - so that you are not present when your mother opens/reads it, so it gives her the space and time to think about it in an unpressured way. Setting out pay-back plan also v. good idea.

Eyelet every time I whinge on here and then read your posts, I feel deeply ashamed! Can't believe how much you got done today despite lack of sleep, demanding baby and poorly dh! And yay for supportive friends! Well done re: missing birth certifs!

Alice/Whoknows [whispers] I am starting operation Christmas tomorrow. Going to get out the sewing machine, survey stash of material and start planning a few projects! Need to cut down on present expenses this year as funding for fil/sil rocketing atm.

Alice arf at early elf planning

Whoknows so glad the evenings' complicated logistics worked out in the end! [Oh no! Must Google and see what happened to Brazil] Enjoy the school trip tomorrow!

Dizzy Congrats to mini-Dizzy on her excellent marks and new pb!

Hope you are ok Engels and can rest up a bit tomorrow/today! And that ce-cream fuelled prayers worked a treat !

Bitchy hope you survived the various meltdowns (sympathies from meltdown city here)

Well done Fraggle on surviving the dentist (you are a lot braver than me!)

Swan sorry about horrid yr 10 dc picking on your ds2

Your parents sound lovely Lostprince!

Carpe great about abating hunger!

Toffee thanks but for first time in my life, I almost have too much iron apparently (don't know how that happened!)

Big feathery waves to everyone else!

Going to try and go back to sleep now ... or listen to Radio4 .. whatever works ...

Swan (being thick and having Googled ) how do you pronounce 'Charybdis' I wonder? Just in case I try and appear to be intellectually competent one day and drop it in to casual conversation