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!

Ta-da:
Cleaned downstairs toilet (first time in too long)
Tidied playroom
Put away last remnants of Mt Washmore
Tidied kitchen
Loaded dishwasher and set it going
Brief foray in to Morrisons with DD. Nightmare.
Hydrate ready for 10k tomorrow
Photograph Phil &Teds ready to sell. Realise have lost the 2nd seat connectors

To do:
Find seat connectors
Clean kitchen for the 2 md time now DH has trashed it again.
Empty and reload dishwasher.

Utterly jealous of fabric shopping.

Oh and I found the sofa under a pile of crap!

My 19mo DS just took a massive poo in the bath and DH who was supervising didn't even notice!

Tada!

Slept badly, too hot
DH off to work
Got DS packed and off to Cub camp (conveniently 5 mins walk from home) with emergency dash to outdoors shop for a new cagoule first.
Home and watched the Wizard of Oz with DD. Is it just me or is that film a good half hour too long, once they've found the lion it should get to the end a bit more quickly.
Took DD to the pub for lunch (her idea). Food was slow to arrive but they didn't charge us for it, which was fine by me.
Took DD trampolining at the sports centre. DS goes weekly in term time, DD doesn't (she'd love to but it is when she's at Brownies). I don't like taking them together at the weekends because DS gets upset when DD can do thing after a few minutes that it's taken him weeks to master due to his dyspraxia.
Supermarket and home. DH came back from work but has now gone off to his brother's birthday celebrations 100 miles away, will be back late tomorrow. So, it's just me and DD.
Zero housework.

Who was asking how long I spend at the allotment, was it you Alice? It varies but it needs a couple of hours a week absolute minimum for most of the year apart from depths of winter. I tend to do little and often as it is close to both home and the DCs school, also it need watering frequently in this hot weather. I've only cultivated half of it so far (got it last Aug), the rest had been neglected for so long that it is effectively lawn, so probably more than two hours for a full size one.

coffee - that's just unbelievable isn't it.

eyelet - that sounds like a great system. We have something a bit similar (my DCs are 10 and 8 so more independent) - a long row of coat pegs at dado rail height above the shoe rack in the hall. All the DCs coats, hoodies etc go on half the pegs, the others hold all their school bags, bags of stuff for Brownies, sports etc. So on arrival home all bags are placed on pegs, their contents taken out and dealt with and then anything necessary is put back when it's ready. So if a form comes home it is filled in and put bag in the relevant bags straight away, with the attached letter being put on a magnetic whiteboard above the pegs.

Oh coffee that's gross . Sack your DH! I hope he cleaned the bath afterwards something important always comes up for DH at the opportune moment

Sorry, another quick dash in and out from me tonight. I was writing a round up, then DS1 came down and wanted hot chocolate and a chat and now I'm just too tired to stay up anymore.

Tomorrow, we are on Babystep Number 20: include laundry in your morning and evening routines.

Sunday is the day to renew your spirit.

No missions at the weekend .

Flight plan is here.

Goodnight all.

Dash in and out for me - been AWOL for a few days with not much flying as I've done my leg in; GP has prescribed rest, painkillers etc.

However I did gut the house before my appointment as I was terrified it was a blood clot (thanks NHS online symptom checker! ) and I'd end up in hospital so didn't want anyone in to help thinking it was a right state. It wasn't, it's just a trapped vein and nerve, but I've to keep an eye on it.

Irrational, and silly anyone?!

Oooh, Carpe, my mum has a trapped nerve at the moment and it's bloody painful. She's seen a physio and has been prescribed Ibuprofen and exercises. She also has to have regular rest breaks. And wine helps! She's a very active person, so finds sitting down frustrating, and still rushes around doing things, but does have to rest when it feels too painful.

Good thing you sorted the house out before your GP appointment!

DH and I had a day out yesterday, leaving DM in charge of the boys. She and DS2 pottered in the garden and had a lovely time. She is really teaching him a lot about gardening and I'm hoping he will look after it from now on!

Had some difficulties with DS1 yesterday evening and he refused to eat dinner with us because DS2 stressed him out too much . Have an appointment with CAMHS looming and I bet they'll use the phrase 'family meals' at some point. I'd like to invite them to join us one day and see why family meals aren't always possible in our household.

Today, we're taking DM and DS2 out for the afternoon and then DM has insisted on cooking our meal again (in spite of her poorly leg). She is being such a help.

Hope everyone has a good Sunday.

Oh no coffee my dd (2.5) did that a few weeks ago. She was so embarrassed she was inconsolable....

Floors and loos clean in this house but that's about it. Everywhere just looks so cluttered :( Feeling a bit overwhelmed today (lack of sleep)... Time to get some bin bags out and get rid of some clutter.

I am at work but getting hideously distracted by lists - please can I have a boot my way please!

sigh. Okay. Vacuum cleaner not working. Water heater not working.

I can fix the vacuum cleaner (I'm pretty sure). But will have to ring the council to have someone out to fix the water heater. I have a good idea what's wrong with it. But can't give the dcs cold showers or baths, so this is a bit of a nuisance. Hopefully they can fix it or replace it quickly.

Kettles of boiling water and then add cold - can you tell I've had this issue?! Just watch the kids like a hawk while it's going; I moved the kettle upstairs so I could always watch mine.

Well, bugger all flying done today, but I did get a nap so all is not lost. Work tomorrow, so who knows.

Oooh, did start a thread on here earlier, so I'm now using my washing machine quick wash and Mount Washmore is no more!

Carpe oh yes, exactly. I've done it before as well, but it's just such a fuss trying to get it done. I've resorted to wash downs until we get it fixed and very very quick showers spaced out throughout the day. I'll be glad when it's sorted.

Babystep Number 21: read this week's questions at the AskFlylady page.

It's Monday: do your house bleugh.

Next week, we'll be in Zone 4: the master bedroom. First mission is here.

Flight plan is here.

I have been gently creaping into the world of reading again. I ordered the sequel to a book in a series that I had enjoyed. It arrive saturday (discovered late in the evening) and has just been finished. it was a good read.

Flying - none and very greatful to ex who washed ds' uniform whilst he was there this weekend. Just have to fly an iron over it in the morning and whizz together a lunch box then it is all good.

Carpe - I was on your other thread. I would just add that I find if I use the quick cycle all the time after a few washes the clothes sometimes still smell a little unclean so I alternate between long and short cycles somewhat. I've also taken to putting a few drops of Zoflora in the drawer when I use the shortest cycle for a bit of added disinfection. The smell evaporates by the time the clothes are dry. It's great when you do have a Mount Washmore though, I did two loads of bedding on the normal 40C wash today (I alternate between that and the 60C wash for those) and three lots of clothes on the shortest cycle, all line dried in the space of an afternoon.

Not much flying yesterday, had a 10k run in the morning and spent the rest of the day recovering! I've lost a couple of the 4 stone I need to shift and I'm much fitter than I was... But I'm not there yet!

Also ordered the shopping for delivery today. It was a lovely sunny day here apart from 30 minutes of rain which coincided with DH cooking on the barbecue . Ah well.

Today I need to:
Wash all work shirts ( pref not dying them pink in the process)
Arrange ironing lady
Receive and put away shopping
Amend eating habits after a lax week
Spend 15 mins tidying in the living room.
Bath both DCs who are currently filthy and try to organise more of a bathing routine as DD looks like a scarecrow.

Trazzle - congratulations on losing two stone! That's amazing. I think I really must take up running to shift my own wobbly belly .

WhoKnows - I like your tips on keeping washing machines fresh. Mine has a funny smell in it at the moment. The washing machine repairman gave me a lecture on the danger of using short cycles or cold-water rinses last time he was here, by the way: apparently, it had caused the pipes to get blocked up. I am sticking to long cycles from now on and DH has been warned to stop using ecoballs.

Bitchy - glad you are making time to read again. And good to hear your ex is helping out, for a change.

DM has gone home . She really helped this weekend: cooking, gardening, hoovering, tidying up. I'm afraid it didn't help the trapped nerve in her leg and I had to give her an extra supply of paracetamol to take as well as Ibuprofen. Her help made such a difference, though, and I feel more able to cope. DS2 has been made Head Gardener and is now in charge of watering the garden twice a day, a job which he loves and which I always forget, so that works perfectly. The garden looks better already, thanks to all the pruning and planting DM and DS2 did on Saturday.

Have spent the morning making phone calls about DS1. I still have to name a school for him and it's proving extremely difficult. All the local schools with ASD units are full for September. I'm now waiting for the NHS ed psych to get in touch to see if she knows which local school would suit him.

No home ed for DS2 today as sorting out the statement is my priority. He's happily playing on his DS instead and looking forward to having a friend round later.

Oooh Bitchy what book? I'm in need of a new one to read.

WhoKnows Zoflora you say? Actually, it's really stuff in the week that needs doing, undies/towels etc I'll still do on a full load - but tomorrow it should be a maintenance wash for me so I may add some Zoflora in just for fun

Well, I'm at work. I don't want to be at work. I want DH's application to be successful and then we can move. And then I'll have the joy of trying to find a job. So, maybe not... Can you tell I'm in two minds about this...

"shadows of the night" 2nd in the discovery of witch triology. Carp as much as it has been slaughtered on mn I quite enoughed the second one. Also recently read city of bones and enjoyed that so will be tracking down the rest of that series at some point. Ds is insisting i need to read the percy Jackson series so I have the joys of that at some point to look forward to but my to read pile is huge as it has been abandoned so long knowing which to start next is sometimes a bit . But one book at a time hey?

Work has been done. and now for the more stressful part of my day... Once I have eaten lunch of course

Have spent all day researching schools and making phone calls. My conclusion is that there isn't anywhere - they are all full or unsuitable for DS1 .

Needless to say, no Flying has been done.

Toffee - I made a lot of phone calls regarding the ASD units in MS secondaries here a few weeks ago and was told that they can be forced to take extra pupils by means of a statement - I think it was Parent Partnership that told me that. However they said that in these schools the pupils in the unit are still expected to take the bulk of their lessons with all the other pupils, it is an additional rather than an alternative resource, so maybe not what you are looking for. Are you getting advice from IPSEA or anyone about this?.

Am getting help from a knowledgeable Mumsetter, Who, who thinks DS should go into residential in order to get the appropriate help. She really knows what she's talking about, but it's such a difficult decision to make. I don't want to put him into residential care . Good idea to ring IPSEA too. Rang all sorts of people today. ParentPartnership were rubbish, I'm afraid, and I ended up making lots of polite noises as they told me what I already knew.

The LEA say I can name an independent school, but that I should also name a mainstream school too (so they can choose that one instead!). I know that the schools with ASD units can be forced to take new pupils, but I'm not even sure that's right for DS1 now. It would probably have suited him in Year 7, had he been appropriately diagnosed in the first place , but he needs more help now, thanks to the damage sustained by trying to cope in mainstream.

If I choose mainstream and have to go through tribunal, I will be fighting for something which DS1 doesn't want because he's too immature to know what he needs. So nobody will be on my side.

Babystep Number 22 is here. It seems to be to buy Flylady's control journal . I'm sure we can do perfectly well making our own, if we are so inclined, but if you want a purple book with lots of cringeworthy quotations, go right ahead.

Tuesday's focus is planning.

The mission is to throw 27 things away from your master bedroom. Always worth doing. I found a bottle of wine under our bed when I was decluttering once .

Flight plan is here.

The pampering mission is quite a good one: make sure you use up some of the lotions and potions in your bathroom before they go out of date.