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!

Cleaner? Oh heavens, send her this way when she's done with yours!

Dcs have been pretty obstinate this morning. Demanding, whiny, complaining, not listening. Typical kids, I guess. Ds1 is really wired and not coping well. We need to go get milk, and I need to stop at the bank. I'm not anticipating having a great time with that. sigh

I have sultanas and glace cherries soaking in hot tea to make tea cake later today. I think I'm going to need some (with a huge cup of coffee) to get through the day.

Another bad night's sleep, combination of heat and too much to think about, I'm finding it hard to switch off from life at the moment.

Must tidy house, must tidy house.

At least someone is happy with the untidyness.

ta da
ds to school with no meltdown

To do
tesco (ingrediants)
aldi (main shop)
asda (clothes for training)
book hotel
submit essential paperwork
Kit shop
Meeting at school
Packing for weekend
Make 3rd part of project with original deadline of tonight (fuuuuuuuuuuuuck)
general normal kinda chores

I think i might be breaking the coffee rule today. I am so tired i could cry.

Morning everyone,

Not much flying for me either, we have a funeral to go to, and it's half way up the country so it's a few days away for us.

I have managed to get into the habit of putting the washing machine on first thing in the morning.

Fly lady says to make your bed almost as soon as you're up (or that's how I read it). Does anyone do this? I like to pull the covers back to air the bed for a few hours before making it. It seems a bit...unhygienic...to make it straight away don't flame me!

Another very very hot day ahead of us. I have got to take the DC out or they will go completely mad. I'm breaking my to do list into manageable steps.

I had a massive declutter of makeup, jewellery and accessories when getting ready for the wedding last weekend. So happy what I have I need.

MUST DO
Washing up
Empty airing cupboard

I air it too usually until the point where i crawl back into it but kinda smooth the covers so it looks neat rather than just fallen out of iyswim

Right, jumping back in as today is the start of the holidays and I need to get into a routine if anything is to be achieved in the next 6 weeks.

coffeeandcream - I do the same as bitchy, really have to air the bed, anything else just feels yucky

whoknows - could you make part of the allotment into a fruit garden that will look after itself - raspberries, gooseberries, rhubarb, etc. I am still working on SiL to let me plant gooseberries in her allotment as I love them and don't have room at home.

Ta da:

• Some work
• Washing in

To do:

• Breakfast for DC and me
• DS and I showered
• All dressed
• Rest of morning routine
• Ring possible cleaner
• Ring Electricity supplier
• Ring heating engineer

Will do that and get back with another list later.

Well, DS is at nursery, I've finished work, washing is out hanging and I'm vegging on the sofa watching crap TV and doing bugger all. I could be doing stuff, but sod it!

Is this heat wave due to stop. It is making me consider finding a swimming costume. I am not of an age or size where I am particularly comfortable in said items of clothing.

WhoKnows - aww . Sweet cat. Our kittens our arriving in a couple of weeks .

Alice - yes, lovely cleaner! She has become a good friend too and I'm now so comfortable with her that I no longer mind her seeing all our mess (not altogether a good thing).

Bitchy - hurray for DS going to school with no meltdown!

coffee - hope the funeral goes as well as these things can.

Carpe - sounds like you've done loads and deserve a break now .

feet - good luck with finding a cleaner.

Sootball - I'm struggling with your name change .

Re: making the bed. I agree that beds should air, so I strip ours back and leave them. Which means that I then forget to make them .

ta da

Get boys up and dressed
Breakfasts
Quick run round before cleaner arrives
Welcomed lovely cleaner and her DD
Turfed DS1 out of his bedroom so it could be cleaned
More running round to tidy up
DS2 and cleaner's DD watered the garden
Took DS2 and cleaner's DD to playground for an hour
Bought ice creams on way home
Waved off cleaner and admired lovely, clean house
Welcomed MIL for morning tea (except she wanted cold water cos it was so hot)
Waved off MIL into her taxi
Decided to sit down and enjoy MNing, but now DS2 keeps calling me to "watch him play on his DS"

Tried to talk with DS1 about starting to go out again. He was not very co-operative, but I'm still going to try and get him out today, even if it's just for five minutes. Could be challenging though.

Sorry, that should read: 'our kittens ARE arriving...'

That's exciting about the kittens Toffee.

Feet - it already has raspberries, rhubarb, 3 x redcurrant and a gooseberry bush, but there is still a lot of it uncultivated and the parts I am using keep getting overgrown with weeds. I can't help feeling that if I can hang on till the DCs are old enough to be left for a couple of hours it will be easier. My friend is on the waiting list so it would hopefully be a short term arrangement for a couple of years.

DCs have gone to my parents today so I am trying to catch up with about 3 weeks worth of non-Flying, but it's so hot, I hate it.

I'm watching episodes of time for school on iplayer with two hot dc, and wondering if I'll ever have enough faith in our education system to let my DC go to school. They're just so bloody young. I've two summerborn DC (although one has SN and we've won the battle to delay her by a year) and if we have a third DC I'm aiming for an autumn baby!

ok so I have
done the washing
hung washing out
emptied the airing cupboard
been to aldi for nappies, fruit bread, salad and ice lollies
dropped clothing at a friends who's expecting soon
Returned items to b n coo but bought weedkiller and now worrying about the ethics of using it.

Need to
cook dinner
wash up
water garden
pick parcel up from neighbour

Ice bath anyone?

Melting here. On the plus side two washloads out on the whirly gig. Downside = two grumpy kids.

Floors clean as well, and quick tea ready to go when dh walks through the door.

Right am going to join you for moral support. This evening after DCs have gone to bed. I am going
TO DO
Clean Kitchen
Wash kitchen floor
Hoover Living Room, Hall and stairs
Put on washing
Tidy living room and dust
Iron bed clothes and put them on
Clean cloakroom

Might be ambitious but will give it a whirl!

I'm still here everyone, flapping in the background.

Toffee Sorry to read you've been having a tough time with ds1/schooling/ idiots in the system etc. you're sounding more positive now though?!

I have a major dental phobia and now chronic embarrassment about the state of my teeth. I've finally booked a dentist appt for Saturday morning and not looking forward to it , but at the same time can't wait. Just want it over and done with. It can only get better from there right?

Welcome fallon. It does sound an ambitious list, don't burn out. Especially in this heat.

I've also decided to take charge and get our sitting room sorted. It's awful, in desperate need of a major decorating/ new furniture/ new carpet project. DH is also moaning about how much it will cost and all the disruption but the alternative is living in a shit tip which will only get worse. Especially since my job involves inviting people into my home and them liking what they see.

I'm thinking that if I do it slowly but surely, he won't notice. Wishful thinking? Maybe not. The first job is to hire the builder neighbour to come in and knock out the god damn awful fireplace/surround we have. He's said yes, I just need to arrange an evening for him to do it. Says it will be messy, oh joy!

Tomorrow list is mainly chucking out stuff. We are very decluttered already but I must stay on top of it and decorating is the perfect motivation since the room will need to be emptied.

Night all :)

Ah bollocks. A totally un productive day. Soooo much that needs doing and no fucking time to do it. Especially as I had forgotten I have training for work tomo which means I am going to be busy for a good chunk of the morning. Arses.

To do
tesco (ingrediants)
aldi (main shop)
asda (clothes for training)
book hotel
submit essential paperwork
Kit shop
Meeting at school
Packing for weekend
Make 3rd part of project with original deadline of tonight (fuuuuuuuuuuuuck)
general normal kinda chores
Sort out teacher's presents
ds to bed
letters x 5
order school photos on line
Hang up ds' kit / put in washer what can be washed

Right tescos and then on with the next jobs... Thank goodness for dparents.

Evening all! Had a rather squabblesome morning, but lunch out with DS1's godmother followed by an afternoon in a lovely shady park with friends we haven't seen for ages proved restorative. Then was out for an outdoor choir performance this evening. We outnumbered the audience by a considerable margin, but it was fun.

Waves to Fallon and Sootball. B n coo? Are you from Naarfolk?

Squee!! to kittens, Toffee!

Left To do tomo
Packing for weekend
Make 3rd part of project
Sort out teacher's presents - finish off
letters x 5 fuck it will do sat
order school photos on line
Mountain of laundry
Parcel up parcel and take to post office to get rid
try to get tyre on car fix asap
training for work
banking
pick up a book to read whilst on holiday
get ds to try on shorts bought tonight
find big bad for packing
find small bag for kit
sort out my kit for week
find camera and make sure have space for more photos on it
hoover car - again
sort out cool box for car
make 48hrs out of 24hrs
Make sure have inhalers collected from school for ds and check best before dates
panic (yep very important this does require scheduling)

If you think I am feeling a tad overwhelmed you might be right!!

Make the bed? Thinking...thinking.....nope. Not familiar with that. Besides with just duvet it's just a matter of pulling it up (which sadly I don't even do that). I like the bed to air a bit. And I tend to strip the beds more in summer as even after baths everyone is overly warm.

Not getting as much done as I had hoped in this heat. And ds1 doesn't cope well with the heat so he is struggling too.

I baked and used the dryer today. Not too bright. Lol damn near melted!

Based on the "if you have been trying to sleep for over an hour but failed then get up rule" I am counting the following as Friday's ta da list simply because anything after midnight is friday

Thus ta da
figure out pattern for completing part 2 of project that is now over due
write out instructions for cookies
order school photos

Going to try to sleep now that the friendly spider has crawled out of the neighbour's burglar alarm and we have peace again...

I am most likely going to get sweet FA done today. I have a huge list of things that NEED to be done:

• trim dcs nails
• sort dcs clothing
• put together bag for charity of old toys, clothing
• drive to friends house and bring her the glass jars I have saved her for canning
• take cash from bank to cover upcoming expenses
• fix vacuum (yes, I know, still haven't done it - I've been sweeping the floor, which is very annoying)
• vacuum living room and bedrooms (rather reliant on me actually fixing vacuum, I suppose )
• strip beds, wash sheets
• remake beds
• sweep kitchen, hallway, dining room
• clean kitchen area (getting cluttered again)
• laundry, at least one load
• more tidying in my room
• paperwork

What have I done for the past 2.5 hours? Played policeman/referee to 2 squabbling screaming children. Have I gotten ANYTHING done? Of course not. Other than a bit of MNing which is about all I can do between dealing with the screams and fighting.

I actually would love to get tons done. I suspect I won't.

Sorry I'm late with the links: computer keeps switching itself off randomly and decided not to co-operate with me last night.

Babystep Number 25 is to read Flylady's personal testimony, which shows you how she managed to improve her housekeeping habits by taking small steps and slowly building up new habits.

Friday is declutter your bag and car day.

The daily missions are here: Friday's is to remake your bed with fresh sheets.

The flight plan is here.

I have a CAMHS meeting ahead of me this morning, so wish me luck.

Hello! It's Friday, therefore I'll clean the car and the handbag.
I seem to remember friday is the day we make the bedrooms naice and prrrritty? I bought some house plants. Unrelated to the task (or maybe related? Been doing the flylady for years, must have programmed itself in my head) I just bought a new duvet set from JL-waffle like texture. Never had that type, but it was white and reduced from 80 to 30. The best thing about it? It came in its own little bag! God, I need to go out more!

So: must jump in the shower and get dressed and put some make up on.
I am sure I have a load of washing to do, but it will get ignored until monday, no chinese laundry here at the weekend! (Must remember to put £20 in my secret stash- every payday from June to October I save towards a lakeland electric clothes horse. I was never able to justify just spending £100 on something like that, got a mental block. This year I am doing it!)

I didn't do the errand day because I worked about 14 h that day. So I must do that today.

Have a lovely and productive or just relaxing day!