August fledglings fly over here - chatting and Flying will help us persevere!

[ToffeeWhirl]

Here we go again - another month for us to tackle our clutter and get on top of our housework!

If you’re struggling with C.H.A.O.S. (can't have anyone over syndrome) and S.T.U.F.F. (something that undermines family fun), 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).

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!

Hello,

Gosh you lot are so productive! Alice that carpet job sounds exhausting.

SOrry I have been awol. I have been excited and busy thinking that MiniLairy is on his way, but despite a weekend of discomfort I am still only 1cm dilated. Grrrr.

So no squidgy baby yet.

And also no Ta da here - I am mainlining jelly babies while on my gym ball while the house goes to rack and ruin and letting everyone else do all the work

Toffee I will admit I felt a bit stupid once it clicked. But oh well, plenty of time to get to it tomorrow.

I have done a little of the hole patching, just none in the room the dcs are in. Fingers crossed I can put up my wallpaper tomorrow night. Then I can focus next week on replacing the skirting boards. urgh. I'm not keen on it, but it does really need to be done. sigh.

I'm also waiting for my pale blue/white sweater to come out of the dryer. It's got a stain on it at the top, but the rest of it is nice, so I am going to use it to make that last cushion cover. Hopefully it will work. If not, then at least I'm not really out any money.

Alice I totally get what you mean. I'm hoping for negative as I'm not having any maternal flutterings, but I will be okay with whatever. DH is just being a bit... "well, if it happens", whereas I'm on the "I've just got my life back, and while I'm not enjoying my job, I am enjoying being at work and being a person, not just a mum" IYSWIM. Also, my anaemia thing is back so I'd be a bit concerned having that and a pregnancy.

Ah well, que sera, sera...

The tests from Tesco (not the digital ones, just the regular store brand ones) were always the most sensitive when we were TTC if that helps.

Ta da
dinner (homemade pizza)
washing up
cleaned downstairs toilet
s&s upstairs bathroom
cleaned kitchen bin mission! (Do I get a sticker?)
Sorted wash from td and put away non-ironing stuff
wiped off kitchen counter, hob
emptied kitchen bin (before cleaning!)

And relax! All managed in small chunks, between sherlock and dora. Dh's turn to put ds to bed. Have decided tomorrow is just for me. Will drop ds at nursery, pop into town for maternity clothes shopping, and then time for either reading or writing. Me me me!

Goodness knows why i am so tired but I do suspect bedtime will be around 8:30pm. feeling like death. Clearly i seriously over did things last week. Bugger.

Good to know about Tesco, but I'm going to stop hijacking the thread and actually post about flying.
Today I have:
Emptied DW
Done washing (technically DBIL did it but it counts right?!)
Weeded the whole garden (again DBIL!)
Made up dinner (sticky Chinese chicken from MNet cookbook - it is fabulous!)
Now I just need to cook dinner and eat it!

meh - hijack away, we're not worried. As long as I'm not the pregnant one, I'm okay with the hijack.

I'm done working for the day. I'm tired now. If I see another spider tonight on the floor, I'm just going to scream. I need to get those spider repeller things you plug in.

Evening all.

Quite a productive day really.

Ta da:-
Washing
Putting away
Tidied downstairs
Bought last bits of DS uniform for secondary (so much more fucking expensive than juniors!)
Took dc's to join library
Posted jury service expenses claim
Cooked tea
Cba to clear up
Ordered ds new phone for his bday

We then spent the afternoon in the countryside on a nice long walk. It has been a lovely day here and one of the positives of living at mums is that it is out of town and surrounded by lovely walks. Fab afternoon.

Now snuggling down to watch Harry Potter with DS.

Back later.

Part of what makes the thread is the hijacks.

My body wants to be asleep, my brain has other plans.

Perhaps a to do list for tomo will help:
book car in to get wheel bearing done
wash bedding
unpack bags from the last few days
take out rubbish and recycling
laundry
folding
ironing
clothes away
meeting in another town
tackle some of the chaos in my room
look into getting a new laptop screen (this one is fooked)
sort out new pages for pain diary
empty car out
planning for week
clear out email accounts
Consider amazon order
sort out bank balances

Hmmm Tomo is supposed to be a rest day, i am not sure that list counts as resting nor that much of it will get done.

Dc finally settled at about 8.30, I went out and played swingball for twenty minutes to reduce my frustration levels then did 45 min of gardening while DH cooked dinner.

We have a delayed housewarming party this weekend and while I'm only expecting 15-20 people for afternoon tea I had hoped to get much of the organising done today around naps but suffice to day that hasn't happened. DH left work early to help as I was struggling a bit by teatime. Baby not at all well.

Today
I have done three loads of washing and have another to go on.
I've hung them out and luckily most has dried.
I haven't washed up, hoovered or swept the floor.
Dd1 had a picnic lunch as I had my hands full.
I didn't have lunch.

I may well give up on work this evening and go to bed.

Fx Carpe

Got my laundry dried enough to iron, so now have 2 clothes horses full airing.

Didn't get my bin cleaned but have wiped down the kitchen worksurfaces and that's bound to be a mission this week

Contact Len test was good, so I've got some disposables for occasional use, problem is I keep trying to push up the glasses I'm not wearing!

Tomorrow is Babystep Number 5: turn nagging voices into positive ones.

Tuesday is our day to plan our week.

The mission for tomorrow is to scrub down your kitchen counter tops.

Tuesday's flight plan is here.

Thought this might be useful too: getting your children involved in tidying the house.

Off to observe the WWI blackout now (DH lost a great uncle in WWI and always thinks of him), then hoping to catch up on sleep so I can be a better mum tomorrow. Felt a bit second-rate today, but DS2 was very sweet and kept handing me tissues and reminding me to take my Lemsip.

Night all.

Unsettled and tired tonight over some stressful emotional issues. Didn't get done some of the things I wanted to as I just couldn't pull myself together enough to do them. And a bit frustrated with myself over it.

Hopefully tomorrow I can be more "together" again and get some things done.

Morning all - strong on the bar for those in need.

Well, today I have joy of taking DS swimming at the open-air pool - but DBIL is coming too, so I have the fun of exposing my tubs of lard legs to him as well as the world.

I'm also with Toffee on the Lemsip, except I'm sticking to paracetamol just in case.

(And on that note as a hi-jack(!), DH and I managed to have a conversation about what will happen if I am upduffed, and he can now see why a baby is not what I want. It doesn't change the fact that if it happens, it will arrive and be loved, but at least he can now see that I feel like I'll have to put my life on hold for a while again due to career being on hold, body being funny, health issues etc. He has therefore promised that if it does happen then he will be ensuring that I still get time for me to do stuff - which I didn't when DS was younger. Nightfeeds were all mine, and I spend the daytime in a fug, so neglected looking after me, and what I needed to make me happy. So that's at least a positive, but I'm still crossing everything I can! Hijack over!)

carpe, sounds like you've had a proper think about it all with DH. I hope (in a well meaning way) that yours not pg as it can turn your life upside down, it did for me.

Sending you calming vibes Alice

Sootball hope you and baby are feeling better today.

Thanks for all the links toffee I'm going to make more effort to follow the weekly plan

That sounds like a productive conversation with your DH, whether you are upduffed or not, Carpe. Sorry you have a cold too. Am feeling pretty fed up with mine and walking round with a box of tissues and a grumpy attitude. Swimming may not be the right thing for you to be doing; my cold has become worse since I took DS2 swimming in a cold pool (but I know that may just be the way this particular virus works). Could you sunbathe on the side whilst DBIL does the swimming bit?

Alice - I hope you're feeling better today and that you can get more done.

Have an OU tutorial this morning and have to finish working on the wording of the proposed statement in time for the meeting tomorrow. Apart from that, and minimal Flying, I'm not planning anything.

Ta da:

DS up, dressed, milk and teeth done, fed
Cats fed
Wash load done and hung up
Both beds made
Dishwasher emptied and refill started
GP appt made for DS
Bottles sterilised

To Do

Shopping for new sandles as mine fell apart yesterday
Clean seriously manly microwave
Clean out fridge and pantry
Make shopping list
Do online shop
Menu plan

I'm trying to pluck up the courage to ask our new neighbour and her son if they want to come round for a cuppa. We've chatted on the pavement a few time and she seems really nice. Most of our neighbours are wankers and are to be avoided at all costs, it would be nice to have a friendly face around

A manly microwave? Arf!! manky microwave...

ta da
strip me bed
strip ds' bed
empty contents of suitcase onto bed ready to be put away just need to tidy the where they go bit
30mins surface decluttering in my room
15mins decluttering in ds' room
consider the issue that is ds' bookshelves and try to make fit
10 mins decluttering in the bathroom
find cheque book Yay!

Right breakfast, 1st load in washing machine and then to get ready and head out to meeting. How is it 10am already?

*my bed. Got regional accents are so telling sometimes

Urgh tooth abscess say no more. Feeling rotten and no flying going on here, decorating has come to a standstill. :(

Have read thread though and looks like many of us are having shitty weeks so leaving and sorry to veggies

Pool is an outdoor lido, and is (as of this morning) a balmy 29 degrees, while it's 18 outside and glorious sunshine, so hoping it'll be fine.

DBIL is getting ready and then it's suncream on, and out we go. Am just hoping that DS doesn't pull the "let me out" within about 2 minutes of getting in!

Morning all.

Ta da so far:-
Tidied downstairs
Dishwasher on
Washing done and on line
Shop for bits and bobs

To do:-
Local country park with dc's for some fun.
Bollocks to the rest of the housework

carpe sounds like a productive discussion with DH and a mind-easing one at that. Fingers crossed for the right result for you

nicknacks sympathies on the tooth abscess. Worse pain than labour imho.

Just sorted out a new phone for DS for his birthday, he better not break it. He got a phone last year and we promised if he looked after it he could have a good one for starting secondary. Gulp. Insurance sorted.

Am feeling a little ranty at stbxh at the moment. We are getting on amicably but finances are starting to put a strain on that. I have moved out byt am still paying all the bills for the house as he is skint and i said i would for 3 months to allow him to get himself sorted. But I am paying for everything like uniform and birthday presents and dropping them off at his, picking them up from his. I know it seems petty but it is starting to irk me. I know I am in a better financial situation than him but something would help. Not sure if I am being unreasonable or not.

Rant over. Now to go out for the day. Have a lovely day everyone.