Fledglings polish their pumpkins and do their best, it's time for a Fling Boogie Octoberfest!

[Stewedcoot]

Heartfelt thanks to Engels (and Bitchy!) for leading the thread throughout September (Sept always being a busy one) despite feeling a bit poorly and despite being pregnant. Hope beneficial effects of injections kick in soon!

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 daily and doing the babysteps is a good way to start. 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 brew + 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, intermittent returnees, oldies and newcomers very, very welcome!

Autumn has hit us like a sledge hammer today, high winds, heavy rain. So today I will be drying towels in the house The first indoor dry of the year always gets me down, but usually it's something a bit lighter. Can look forward to condensation later.

Bitchy no hair brush for me! It's just a run through with fingers. The downside is my ears are exposed.

Done
Beds
Packed lunch
Dd to school (after finding wellies and winter coat)
Paperwork (I've cleared a side!)
Early lunch, including a test pudding, now can't move.

To do
Washing up
Litter tray
Rubbish out
Tackle discoloured patch on bathroom wall (mold?)
Mop bathroom & kitchen floors
Collect DD & friend
Dd & friend to karate
Collect DD
Dinner
Washing up & SS

That's doable

Wow. I've spent about £100 today. But one of my shoes fell apart, in the rain, so I was squidging about with a wet sock. Now I have a new pair of boots...so £20 there. Bought a new carbon monoxide detector (ours is reaching the upper "time limit") and an outdoor light. A butter dish. New jeans and a couple shirts for ds1. Pair of trainers for ds1 (£3 in sale at Primark!). A couple pairs of socks. A latte and a slice of lemon cake (yeah, that wasn't technically a necessity but it was really good!!). A few other bits and bobs that I needed to pick up for the house.

But.. on the plus side, my birthday is next month and I was planning on treating myself to a bottle of perfume that I really like. So I popped into Boots to see how much it would be... £57.50! But if I buy it on 30th October, they're having some sort of points thing going on and she said I'll get £12 back on my Boots card in points. So that sounds like a deal to me. I know, it's a lot for perfume, but it's my treat for my birthday (and most of it will be paid for by money my mum gives me then).

Things I've done around home? Not a whole lot as I've just gotten home.

Ta da
supermarket
ordered ds's chest of draws and got him a lamp, bedside table and bean bag (I'm fed up of sharing the sofa!)
went into city and made my first visit to ever to primark for some christmas bits
peeled pot for dinner and fish defrosted
changed outside bin and bags ready to go out tomorrow
folding washing right now to go away and pack ds's bag for uk

Alice get the perfume. If you really like it there's no point getting a cheaper one and being unhappy. I've a "get it if you love it" atitude, I don't get much for myself, and I spend on DD & DH, so I'd rather have less but really appreciate what I have. (hope that didn't sound preachy)

Done
Wasted time on FB, twitter & games
Bathroom
Washed ceilings, walls & tiles
Cleaned handbasin, bath & toilet
Wiped down doors & skirting boards
Washed floor
Cleaned storage unit.

Quick drink before going to get DD.

The sun is shining, but more rain forecast -grrr

Goth I've been feeling that way lately too. Less "stuff" but when I find something I really like, I don't feel guilty about getting it, because I don't do it all the time. I was feeling a bit because I spent £20 (which really isn't that much) on a pair of boots that I liked today (Primark - I can't bring myself to pay £50+ for boots), and then I thought "for heaven's sake, I have trainers that I am still wearing that I bought 9 years ago, and these boots are replacing a pair of shoes that I wore for 3 years until a seam finally split apart today and managed to soak my foot. BUY the boots." I rarely buy shoes, tbh. These are nice black boots that are similar to some I was mulling over last year and never bought. I have a pair of tan hiking boots that I sometimes wear with jeans, but I bought them about 15 years ago - and they are still in stellar condition as they are sturdy and good quality. (and the tan hikers don't really go well with black trousers )

Ta da
ironing
packed ds's stuff
packed some of mine
washing up
lunch for tomorrow
gp for injection
chat with dm

go for it alice . I don't buy many shoes but after an illfated very cheap pair from dolci's a few years ago that killed my feet, I only ever buy shoes that I love.

Well i have done everything except the forms. So will have that delight tomo

Hi

Sorry I've not been on here in October. My decluttering was going really well, too well in fact and I've accidentally thrown something out which has left me pretty upset. I keep waking up crying.

I know it's all only possessions but it's given me a crisis of confidence that I can't carry on at the moment.

I hope to be back soon

TaDa:
*Work & a late meeting afterwards
*Washed another window in new house
*Hurried stir fry dinner
*3 hours (!!!) getting my hair highlighted, cut and dried by a hairdresser who lives locally and does hair for half the salon price!
*Drove to town for petrol as petrol light on far too long (bad planning there).

To Do:
*bed!

Sc DH just went 'out' to the pub to watch the racing - not out to Paris!!! Maybe next year...! Although we went to the Velka Pardubice three years in a row. That's our fave Oct racing event!!!

Nicknacks I'm sorry you have DD littered something you clearly treasured.

decluttered - sorry, predictive text problems grrrr

Oh no Nick, sorry to hear that. I'm glad you were able to come on here and tell us, I hope you feel able to come back to Flying when you have had a bit more time to come to terms with it.

Castle - welcome back to you too, sorry to read about the death of your MIL.

Sorry, haven't kept up with thread. DS's statutory assessment period finishes later this week I hope to have a bit more breathing space after that for a couple of weeks at least, but I have started another OU module so will be busy with that too for the foreseeable.

Argh! Good morning! Sorry to be only posting links now! Bit of a pig of a day yesterday. Back in a mo!

*

Baby-step no. 7 for Tues 7th Oct is a really important one about laying out your clothes for the next day, the night before.

We are in Zone 2: the kitchen here!. Declutter for 15 mins in this zone.

The detailed cleaning list (if you are at that stage) for Zone 2 is here.

Today's mission is : here. Sort out your cutlery drawer.

The daily focus for Tuesday is: planning menus, medical appts, holidays, activities etc.

The monthly habit for October is getting rid of paper clutter.

For a summary of the above, see the flight plan which should update itself daily.

Have a good day everyone!

*

Plan for today (after a school activity) is working on the kitchen and dining room, plus a bit of tidying up in the bedrooms. And vacuuming. And sweeping.

I am hoping to start working on the paper clutter tonight by bringing a couple sections of my main files downstairs and getting rid of anything that is no longer necessary to hold onto.

Morning all.

Hope today is better SC! Re the homework, I was terrible for doing things at the last minute, right the way through university. I think for me it was a sort of perfectionism I don't really understand, but seems to relate to why flylady works for me now. If that makes any sense?

So I'm behind again, in awe of Goth's puddings, and desperate for one of Alice's butter dishes.

It's been all wedding here - the whole thing is going to be very DIY and suddenly seems very soon (January). At my mother's so no proper flying, but we have made great progress on the catering front. (Where would your DH stand on the grapes or no grapes with cheese issue, SC? It seems it's a very serious business )

About to start making industrial amounts of chutney and bake an experimental cake. It needs to be a huge one as the evening will be 200 people so I am a bit scared of it. Trying to take a fat fairy approach to the whole thing - small steps, less perfectionism!

So today is just practical issues, jars and spoons and ingredients and lists.

Ta da

Written one list

To do

Write a lot more lists
Improvise an enormous board on which to put the cheese
Decide exactly what to do with all these plums

Working from home today with a 4 hour conference call. If I can stay awake!

nicknack I'm really sorry to hear that something so upsetting has happened. I hope you are feeling better soon.

I am so tired so going to try to have a reasonably easy day with a bit of decluttering.

To do
House bleurgh
Go to tip with clothes.
Decluttering makeup
Decluttering cups
Conference call
Finances (still haven't done them!)

Power or 3 for this morning is
Breakfast
School
Tip

Morning, quick post to get me started.

Done
Beds
Windows -yeah condensation is back
Packed lunch
Laundry on

To do
Hang yesterday's laundry out, see if it softens the towels
Hang today's laundry out
Find a smaller cake tin
Plan tomorrow night's activity at Woodcraft Folk for 6-8 year olds (on Human Rights)
Wrap DD's presents
Get present for DD's friend (her party is on Friday)
Find missing earring

BBL

And because I am so terribly organised I shall be delivering lunch box to school when i have been to the shops to by contents for it
Ds is procrastinating and refusing to go to school.

Sorry, I haven't had anything to contribute recently, although I have been reading and lurking. Am working hard on home ed with DS2 and things are suddenly starting to happen for DS1. I'm taking him to his first appointment with a new psychotherapist today (for CBT, I presume) and we have an appointment at the special school next Monday. It was his birthday yesterday and it was a very easy birthday for us because he wanted everything to stay just the same and "no fuss please because it stresses me out!"

Castle - lovely to see you back. I'm so sorry about your DMIL and that your DH has now lost both his parents. Sounds really tough, especially with the new baby and house move on the horizon. ((hugs))

NickNacks - that's so sad. I have done that with things and it still hurts when I remember, but never as much as it did at first.

to do

Morning routine
Walk into town with DS2
Home ed
Appt at CAMHS
House bleugh

Good morning! I did not do any Flying at all yesterday owing to all-hands-on-deck call from the office (having to submit docs by certain deadline) and having to deal with inane office politics from blokes who should know better. Ditto the first couple of hrs this morning but back now to catch up. Hope everyone all OK ... .

Waves to Toffee a belated "happy birthday" to your ds1! Hope all goes well with his appointment today and with school visit next Monday! Really good to hear things are happening for him.

Oh no Nicknacks that's awful and such a shock when one realises. I'm so sorry xxx

Bitchy we've had those sorts of mornings before when we've had to stop off to buy a ham baguette on the way to school because we've run out of bread! DD had hot lunches last term but we didn't get the form in quickly enough this term -because someone ripped it up by mistake and I keep forgetting that we need to buy stuff for packed lunches again!

Hope you find the missing earring Goth. I'm trying to visualise how a conflation of human rights and Woodcraft will manifest itself? Forestry rights for nomadic native indigenous people?

Pushme doesn't sound as if your day working from home will be exactly relaxing what with 4hr conference call but hope you can catch up on rest/sleep soon! I think travel is inherently tiring; never mind all the work you have to do on top!

Thanks Gladhoc today will be better I hope!

"I was terrible for doing things at the last minute, right the way through university. I think for me it was a sort of perfectionism I don't really understand, but seems to relate to why flylady works for me now. If that makes any sense?"

Oh yes, cannot over-state, it makes absolute PERFECT sense to me [sadly!!] I'm exactly the same! That's why I'm so worried about dd following in my footsteps, I am not a good role model at all!

Your wedding plans sound absolutely lovely! I think the advantage of doing most of it yourself is that you can really make it as personal and individual as you like (and you are obviously going to great efforts to do so). Dh wouldn't bother with the grapes but he's generally not strong on 'garnishy' type things. I'm not sure what professional cheese conoisseurs would do - are grapes there to cleanse the palate or some'at? I dunno! Dh can ask his cheese ladies at his favourite shop here if you like! Not sure you need grapes if you have lots of lovely home-made chutney though! (And good luck with the industrial quantities!) Btw could you buy an old-second hand coffee table with knackered legs for cheese board? (Obviously remove legs and just use top bit which you could sand down and oil or paint or cover in some way?? Think it needs to be quite solid.)

Good luck with purging of files Alice!

Whoknows glad to hear that the assessment period is nearly over - you must both be relieved - and good luck with ou module!

OOHh Castle I'd love to go (Only read about it in Ruby's biography I think or was it AP's??? Can't remember!!) Think the jockeys must have a death-wish anyway!

Waves to Engels (you sound v. organised!)

And to eveyrone else I've missed!

Had better get on... need to start on yesterday's list.. which was actually part of Sat and Sunday's list ... oh dear. Tasks are all so deathly boring ... . Really feeling a bit flat atm. I normally love the start of autumn! Think it is because I am missing my friends who have moved away. Only have 3 left in the vicinity!! Also need to sort/re-arrange plans because dh is travelling unexpectedly today until end of wk.

Gladhoc I'd say yes to grapes, but I like something sweet with cheese - not everyone's taste.

SC - think the start of autumn's been a bit of a shock to the system this year cos the Indian summer went on so long!

Still here, still procrastinating madly about everything. Must do tax return before half term!

God this conference call is boring. And I need a wee!

SC arf at indigenous peoples. Going to do an activity where they have to decide what is a need rather than a want. The main problem will be getting them to respect one another enough not took talk over each other. I do think WF could do with a more appropriate name, we're more a hippy scouts than forest dwellers.

Done
Litter tray
The fog has cleared so finally got laundry hung OU
Got new cake tin, parchment & brown paper.
Ordered helium ballon for Friday
Lunch

Crap, not a lot done then

To do
Washing up
Line cake tins (am counting as a separate job as it's a faff)
Bake cakes
Wrap presents
Continue looking for earring (it's not special, but I don't want to tred on it)

Bitchy trips to school via shops happen more often than I like here too.

Yes, I think that's it Blue. September was so lovely and I am now regretting very much that I didn't really make the most of it in terms of exercising/decluttering. Trying to motivate myself now but I seem to have no mo-jo/self discipline whatsover.

Going back to the more cheerful subject of cheese dh has just popped back for lunch Gladhoc. He said he loves honey and walnuts with brie (and sometimes sultanas if that doesn't sound too wierd) but he urges you to try it. He said they are very keen on serving figs with cheese here and that he also loves crisp apples and particularly celery with certain other types of cheese (which would probably go better with chutney). Good luck with it all!

Right, I am now going to beat myself over the heat and descend in to the bowels of the basement to do some laundry ... .