Time for a bonfire of the clutter? Perhaps not but Fledglings are flying high with the fireworks through November...

[BlueEyeshadow]

Huge thanks to SC (and Bitchy!) for leading the thread throughout October (and to SC for such a copy and paste-able OP)

If you are struggling 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 wine and cake 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 + 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!

Well, I've had a certain amount of irritation today too (25 minutes to drive about a mile and a half which is going to be a regular feature of Thursdays for the next few months) mixed in with homework rage (DS - did it wrong) and homework angst (DD - lost it and had to do it again).

However I have finally got the floors upstairs clear enough to hoover tomorrow (albeit by means of just chucking everything in a big basket), have put the HAllowe'en stuff back in the loft and have finally conquered the filing piles that have been on the living room floor since last Friday . In the process I have thrown out approx 2 box files depth of paper and finally found out which bank I opened my ISA with a year or two back . And last night I did do that ironing - the basket is empty .

DS has been at Scouts tonight, they were playing games in the woods and he came back more covered in mud than I have ever seen, luckily DH intercepted him and stripped his clothes straight into the WM before he could make contact with any walls or furniture.

So, I'm not going to write a ta-da list, just going to send good vibes to you all, especially everyone who is struggling with illness, poorly DCs, irritating elderly relatives or dilapidated houses and now I'm off to bed.

Tomorrow's power of three is finish the last bit of filing (relevant files are in DCs room so can't do it now)
Hoover upstairs and down
Attempt to clear the big basket of crap that I picked up off floors tonight

Also want to:
Go swimming
Make a start on an OU essay

Sorry, Swan, I inadvertantly wrote DS1 in my message to you when I should have written DS2.

Sorry you've had an irritating day too, WhoKnows. Am very impressed by all your paper decluttering and ironing. You have reminded me that the boxed Halloween stuff seems to have taken up residence in our sitting room - must add it to my 'to do' list .

Bitchy - well done on seeing the poppies, even if you are shattered now. I took DS2 to see them last week. Even he was impressed.

Blue - you are more organised than me with your CIN cakes. Ours are going to be a bit of a rush job, I think.

Determined to get to bed at a decent time tonight, so am signing off.

I may have been organised making the cakes, Toffee, but we forgot to take them in! Will have to add dropping them off at school before break time to the list for today!

Oh no, Blue!

Busy day today. Going into work with DH this morning; this afternoon - baking cakes, selling them with home-ed group, then up to school to collect DS1's friend and bring him home with us.

Whoknows I am so [envious] of your Scout troupe. Ds2 would love to be out in the woods but our hut has no proper access to the outdoors, nor enough volunteers to take them outdoors (of course London is full of parks but it is just getting there. Ds2 has already said it is boring and he thinks the others are too badly behaved (only 4 others) whereas a bigger group who were actually doing stuff would have suited him quite well. I could move him to a more "happening" group somewhere else, but as I help with Beavers they might find out and then think me very disloyal

done
drove dd to school in the driving rain
ds1 went off to school in the rain (later - it is impossible to synchronise driving them) in a very short small raincoat clutching a sodden violin
ds2 was waiting for me in his Barcelona football kit I wonder if there is actually going to be any football today It does look very grim out there.

read story of Rehaboam and Jeraboam to ds2 - he announced the names annoyed him and I had to refer to them by their initials only. Now onto Jezebel...

Toffee good luck with the cake sale or is it tomorrow? My mother though otherwise sensible gets very tetchy over "time" when she is being a hostess or looking after anyone (child, man or beast) and cannot bear waiting at all. I think it is a heightened sense of responsibility and dutifulness that clashes with vague feelings of being put upon that they cannot articulate. My husband's parents are much the same, fuss fuss fuss over quite small things and then delightful over bigger issues.
Ellie your mum sounds like me.

Ds2 is listening to Guys and Dolls now and playing with Lego. I need to lure him back in here and do some reading before we go out.

Toffee oh yes, looked up thread and it is today you are having the sale and then bringing home ds1's friend. Sounds good.

It's tricky isn't it with Scouts etc Swan. There are two groups in our town and there is definitely (at Beaver and Cub level anyway) a prevailing view that the other lot are more "happening" - they are a bigger group, higher profile in the community et. However our lot are right on our doorstep, have great outdoor facilities (which are the envy of the district) and DS has always been happy. I'm on the exec. committee and I get a bit fed up hearing parents having a dig about our group compared to the others. I had never really thought about scouting in a city, but yes, the outdoor stuff must be tricky. Our group has a garden big enough to play football in, a small area of woods for campfires and is right on the edge of town with easy access to the countryside. However looking at the programme I am going to be ferrying all over the county for other activities (DS only moved up from Cubs last week).

Well, DCs went off very happily dressed up as superheroes today. I had to pop in and see DD's teacher and was thronged by excited children, even the year 6s were very into it all and the staff all dressed up too. It feels that just as though I am getting to the stage where I can take dress up days in my stride they will be too old for them soon.

Ta-da!
Filing
Sorting the basket of crap into smaller baskets of crap for different rooms
Washing on.

Quick cuppa then I'm going to deal with some of the smaller baskets of crap.

Afternoon all

Have just read the thread and promptly forgotten everything!!

Done
Finished thank you letters!! :) :)
Looking on currys website - thinking of buying a laptop because lucy has started doing homework on the computer. Problem is the PC is in the living room and Dd needs quiet to be able to concentrate!

To Do not necessarily today!
Sort out Dd's toys.
Get rid of Dd's and ds's sorted out toys.
Cook tomato sauce and stewed fruit.
Hoover all the upstairs

Other stuff I can't remember!

Need another cup of caffeine, not used to doing writing!

Can't make the home-ed cake sale after all because we were at work so long . I felt so frustrated, but have now decided we'll still make the cakes, as DSs were looking forward to that, and then we'll sell them to some kindly neighbours instead . And we'll keep some for DS and his friend to share.

Swan - yes, MIL does get tetchy over time. Once, when she was babysitting for us one evening, she was out on the doorstep, waiting for us ten minutes before her taxi was due - we could see her as we walked down the road. I could understand if she got tetchy because we were late, but 'late' to her means 'early' to anyone else .

Right, have lured the cats into another room and can now start preparing the cake ingredients...

we've had the lurgy (nothing too bad) but bugger all flying done. DD back at school today and I'm waiting for the rain to stop so I can drop a couple of hats off at the craft shop.

Not really had CIN here as DD off school, and this morning she's off to STV with the school choir to record some carols for the Christmas Day broadcast! I'm pleased she's in the choir otherwise she'd be doing cross-country running and the weather is awful.

We had parents evening this week, and her teacher asked if she'd said anything else about bullying (she hasn't) as she seemed happy at school. He seems to be on top of the situation, but I'll keep checking with her as she has a habit of bottling things up.

Busy weekend ahead for us, ArtVillage is doing it's Christmas collection launch this evening (it's proper grown up, wine and everything! ) then back again tomorrow to work on the elephant. Sunday DD. Has her karate grading and then back to the grindstone elephant.

football was on,, so lots of running and socialising and it turned into a beautiful golden midday
chatted to some more people but ds2 still slightly obsessed by going to a particular boy's house to play (although he wasn't invited) So difficult to orchestrate - I compromised by inviting that boy to play next week and hopefully we might get a return invite at some point.

Just did a bit more "work" with ds2 - trying to find a way into The Winter's Tale but for some reason it is not on Youtube as an animated tale. Need to order the book I think as the text is too overwhelming for him without any pictures or abridgments.

Ds2 also swept path of leaves for me (mucho complaining)

Rang the LA today to confirm I was home educating but not surprising to hear that they had no record of me, as the details had not been forwarded from the LA of ds2's previous out of borough school I feel quite relieved to hear I was not on their radar (although now of course they are slowly turning the wheels of bureaucracy to send me forms etc) - definitely no pressure then!

Toffee sorry that things were so busy at work and dh is ill. I bet ds2 is very proud to be helping out though.

Goth glad dd is feeling more buoyant.

I am going out for drink this evening with two friends - she has just rung and I had completely forgotten better hoover the floor then so as not to leave dh in the lurch again and possibly take something out the freezer

Today is not exactly going to plan. Sent ds to school in uniform only to have to bring him home to get changed as it was out of school uniform. Been at the office to have my brain stuffed with training for the job description change that is due to take effect. Ds screamed at me for a good hour as he was hungry. There is building dust and sawdust everywhere. There is nowhere to work. I don't know why i have bothered to do laundry as it is full of dust more or less within the first hour of coming out of the dryer. There is a horrible stink of solvent throughout the house and it is freezing because i turned the heating off as not to be wasteful whilst the window was open to air out the stink. I am tired and grumpy and itching to get cracking on sorting everything out and cleaned up. But until the builders feck off there is no point in getting started in clearing up. And ds might be lucky to live to his next birthday if he carries on with this excessive rudeness and attitude now he has been fed. He is also in a strop as i told him it is his room that is being taken apart, cleaned and sorted tomo. Being a typical 9yr old this information was not appreciated Coffee at 6pm is clearly a bad idea but it is going to be what is needed.

Swan hope you have a lovely time

Ah actual flying
ta da
-hoover up saw dust from 5 rooms
ironing
folding
air out entire house
put ds' clothes away
Clear coffee table and move out of the way
sort through a box

Very tired I think sleep is calling me. Night night

Tada!

Morning routine etc
Our bed stripped and sheets washed
Filing done
Basket of crap divided up into room specific baskets of crap and all put away (well, gave up on the last little bit). Also incorporated various other small boxes of crap from around our house. That is a problem, everyone just tosses everything into the nearest receptacle instead of tidying properly. House looks MUCH tidier tonight than it has for a while.
Bed re-made
2nd load washing done
Kitchen floor swept and mopped
Bathroom walls and downstairs windows steam cleaned
OU essay drafted
Swimming - I'm trying to go 3x a week regularly. Am definitely noticing an improvement.
2 sacks of leaves swept from the garden and taken to the allotment for leaf mould, 10 minutes tidying whilst up there
Essay tweaked
Sainsburys
Dinner
Watched Annie with DD while DS went to youth club
More tidying
DCy S to bed
PTA minutes started and abandoned, possible due to
Wine opened.

You know, sometimes I drift away from this thread for a few weeks, especially over the summer. I lose my motivation and then feel guilty for lack of Flying in my posts, and back off a bit. But I always come back and I do find the thread so motivating again (and I love the chat).

Things might get harder next week, essay has to be submitted and I'm due the draft of DS's statement (if he gets it) midweek, which will probably result in a few weeks of stressful and difficult negotiation with the council. That's why I've been really going for the Flying, swimming and Christmas shopping this week, to get ahead. It has been absolutely lovely having these last few weeks without any statement related activity. Swan - why am I not surprised that your local authority have lost track of you and DS2?

Toffee - hope the baking went well.

Bitchy - night, night.

Blue - Xmas shopping list is on an App called ShopShop (hopefully the DCs won't open it as it looks boring), You can have as many separate lists as you like and line items out as you buy them.

Is anyone else finding their Christmas shopping habits are being revealed to the household by these bloody intelligent adverts that keep popping up everywhere? I did install ad blocker, but it prevented me from using cashback websites so I took it off again. Every time I go on the computer all the things I've been browsing are there in huge pictures on every webpage. Might have to switch to private browsing, I just keep forgetting.

Evening all.

Was feeling utterly despondent about the state of the house earlier, but have now got it superficially tidier, downstairs at least. Need a deep, thorough declutter everywhere, but can’t face it by any method. Friends with mobile almost 1-year-old DD visiting on Sunday, though, so will have to put some stuff out of reach and clean the floors before that!

Ta da!
2 loads of laundry done and dry
1 lot of laundry put away
Extra school run to drop off cakes
Work
Cooked tea
Boys’ swimming lesson
Room rescues in kitchen, dining room and sitting room
Cleared out some books [traumatic] and made space for new ones (not many – still tons to go!)

Swan at J and R being referred to by initials only. What did he make of Jezebel?! [roll eyes] at LA. About par for the course! Hope you had a good evening out.

Well done on the thank you letters Shanara - it’s terrifying how quickly we get out of the way of writing!

Shame about the cake sale Toffee - hope you and your boys enjoyed baking anyway.

You’re sounding busy, Goth. Glad the school seems to be on top of the bullying situation and hope you enjoyed your evening out too.

Well done for getting any kind of flying done in the circs Bitchy. I think I’d have been having a meltdown with all that going on!

WhoKnows - you’re flying high today! [gold star] I hate those creepy ads – have ad blocker now.

*
Babystep is making the bed in the morning – another controversial one!

No missions at the weekend – it’s Family Fun Day time.

I am finding my pinterest history is influencing the ads more than the shopping.

Morning all!

Ta da
wash#1 done
wash #2 on
Stripped bed so DH can raise it for baby (compulsory under H&S laws here because of post-birth care and checks and just in case I don't make it to hospital!)
Wrapped Christmas presents to be sent abroad
Refilled fountain pen
Emptied upstairs bins and plastic recycling

to do
wash#2 in td
wash #3
remake bed
package up parcels for sending next week
maybe do Christmas cards!

Just watching Sinterklaas' arrival in the Netherlands with DS.

BBL!

SC how are you feeling?
Good luck next week Whoknows

I have a stupidly long list of stuff to get done today. it is demoralising. Especially as ds is going to put up a bit of a battle.

To do:
strip down, clear out and clean up ds' room
ditto lounge
ditto study
ditto dining room
mount washmore and his friends mount foldmore and mount ironmore
sort out charity shop stuff
email sisters the do you want to claim any of this pictures
clean up and put into storage not often use kitchen equipment
Hand warmers and training equipment
...

like I said a stupidly long list. One more coffee and then I will boot the child of the computer and get his to try on some clothes for culling... OMG ds' room that means dealing with the lego FUCK!

Helloooo everyone! Dh is back, jet-lagged but happy the trip went well and that it has already generated two new bits of work.

It is dsis2's last day [sniff] and I am going to miss her so much when she leaves tomorrow. I've been really grateful for her presence as new pills making me feel a bit wierd. But most of all it's just so lovely having another female by one's side!

On the practical front she has done loads of school runs and mini supermarket shops allowing me to get on with stuff that I haven't tackled in years. And all the mundane stuff seems so much more enjoyable when you have a companion to share them with. She cannot quite believe how many stairs I climb in an ordinary day though!!

And she has helped me to sort the boudoir (room in which we all dress because next to only bathroom) to a really good point from which I can finally finally "finish" it (well, as finished as anything gets in this house anyway).

The floor and bed are clear and every surface is clean and dusted and organised. As are all shoes (in labelled boxes on wardrobe shelves or neatly arranged at bottom of wardrobes - yay) as is the interior of dh's wardrobe. ( Dd's wardrobe and chest of drawers (albeit falling apart) were already well organised thankfully). I just now need to tackle three cardboard boxes of doom (no idea what lies within!) plus four boxes of books and organise the inside of dh's chest and my chest of drawers too. And organise a different solution re: bed-side tables which are currently not up to the job.

Then tackle books on first floor landing.

Now just about to try and do the same thing in the home office. Determined to crack on with this during the rest of November; in fact dsis2 has just kindly taken dd to ballet with dh and I am going to start right now ... but before I do ...

How exciting that Sinterklaas has already arrived in the Netherlands ...Engels!! He usually arrives in Bxls docks some time towards the end of the month - I'll have to check!

So sorry that things are such hard going atm Bitchy with the builders and everything. Hang in there x

Hope you enjoyed your evening out Swan

Whoknows Congrats on your long list yesterday. This bit of your post ... >"Basket of crap divided up into room specific baskets of crap and all put away (well, gave up on the last little bit). Also incorporated various other small boxes of crap from around our house. That is a problem, everyone just tosses everything into the nearest receptacle instead of tidying properly."
made me grimace smile in recognition! YY to being the only one who actually "bottoms" out the carrier bags of crap and boxes of detritus that linger in various places for weeks on end!! So frustrating that no one else bothers. I feel your pain!!!!

And good luck with statement negotiations this week x
Oh and Amazon is dreadful for Christmas presents that I have just bought just popping up when dd and dh sit in front of screen!

Blue well done for tackling the worst of it!

Goth glad you are feeling better and that dd hasn't reported any bullying and you are reassured that teacher is on top of things.

Well done on getting through the thank you letter Shannara!

Sorry about the cake sale Toffee

No more time to read rest of thread right now as need to crack on but big waves to Nicknacks Alice Ellie Feetheart Honu Terry Castle and everyone else! Will catch up later!

Forgot to say Toffee sorry to hear your dh is ill. I hope he feels better soon.

We have visitors from overseas arrive on wed. It is a case of cleaning up the mess and building work is taking a break until AFTER christmas. thank fuck!

Glad you are having success with being productive SC. least with those stair you will never need to consider butt implant to get that all important booty that the americans seem to be currently obsessed with. Ds and I were watching the music channel earlier Nikki Miwhatsherfacewiththeattitude came on with her anaconda song. Ds decided it was rude, wrong and unsuitable for anyone his age

Ha! Bitchy dd also incredibly censorious when it comes to "unsuitable" things on You Tube or telly!

Wish my figure did reflect the amount of stair climbing done but I am still Bagpuss-like, old and a bit saggy at the seams .... Although I am sure I must have lost a bit of weight (needed to) this week as dsis2 sticks to a fairly minimalist diet and I've been mimicking her eating patterns/habits. Been starving most of the time too !

Good to hear that you don't have visitors concurrent with builders which would not be a happy combination to put it mildly!

And yes, yes, I shouldn't be on here atm ... should be sorting office ... scuttles off purposefully

Hello everyone - been lurking but no time to post recently. However, DH has a day in the office today so taking the time to get back on top of the house, which has been sadly neglected!

So, the general aim was to restore order and try to get rid of the mess that has been lying around.

Ta Das
Boys went to football
Food Shopping
Re-organise conservatory and get rid of glitter that DD dropped everywhere
Move table upstairs
Re-organise DD's room
Clear DD's room
4 loads of washing and drying
Move unit from DD's room to lounge for TV
Get rid of horrible TV unit
Clean kitchen
Hoover
Clear hall up
Tidy utility room
Put DD's too-small clothes in a bag

To Dos
Finish clearing upstairs hall
Finish putting DD's stuff away in newly organised storage
Do something with the pile of books discovered under DD's bed
Persuade DCs to finish clearing stuff
Make our bed

Feeling much happier as it looks so much better. Nothing like a lazy day at home to feel in control again.

Swapping minecraft videos for chores. OMG why have I never thought to do this before No shouting, no arguing and some of the chores are evil (plastic tubs washing up and drying/removing all books off books case and cleaning it ALL)