Deck the halls (or the wine) as the Fledglings head into December.

[GoingGoingGoth]

Huge thanks to Blue for leading the thread throughout November (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 is 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!

I have finally marzipaned my cake!

LINKS FOR FRIDAY 12th DECEMBER

Babystep 12 is to delete all FlyLady emails. Be grateful if you didn't sign up, it can be an avalanche.

Friday is Clean out your purse & car day

This week we are in Zone 2:The Kitchen

Today's mission is to sweep & mop the kitchen floor. (This is on delay until I've finished baking)

The Launch Pad is here

Christmas Mission 10 is to spend 15 minutes wrapping and 15 minutes decorating/putting cards up.

Thanks Toffee - I did make them. Very basic and I can see all the flaws (let along more proficient crocheters) but I'm pleased all the same. Hope you're feeling better today.

I have a list!

Ta Da!
Laundry
Dusting
Cleaned up %^&%*$& cat poo from the garden
Swimming
Grocery shopping
Work - finished major job, woohoo!
Cleaned car
School Christmas fair
Cooked tea
Cleaned kitchen

Need to get making some lists to get through the next few weeks of chaos now the work's out of the way. Also going to have to drop out of a choir event next week because of a diary clash with DH. Bit of a relief, in a way.

There are some videos of last night's performance here if anyone is interested. I am not visible, fortunately. :)

we fetched Xmas tree today and put it out the back will deal with it when in more sentimental mood!

dd had a massive strop this evening over Xmas requests so we confiscated her phone. All very boring as in the end we had to give it back not without certain promises [whistles]

ds1 has been conversely charming but never revises if he can be singing instead [sigh]

sore throat today but have shaken it off with lemsip

Builder nearly gone but tomorrow he has to fix the loo-seats (we have two loos without seats in this house which means I have to buy some! From long experience I know that "universal" does not mean they will fit and even if they do "fit" lids will come crashing down on poor unsuspecting men/boys if the angle is wrong, or they will be impossible to clean..Or the builder will have the wrong sort of spanner.

did Home Ed-wise
phonics
history (more Wolsey)
science (digestion)
exercise

Blue I loved listening to that. And I like their purple attire too.
Whoknows fabulous that performance was so inspiring.

Morning.

Bit of an early morning start around here today.

ta da
get up at 3rd alarm instead of the usual snooze buttom alarm for an hour
put a duvet into the washing machine to wash
update spread sheet

[Hands Bitchy strong brew]

Blue Congrats on your concert and thanks for link! Really enjoyed listening to that (twice!). Really nice to hear it sung 'straight' without big band effect ... and like the twiddly harmonies at the end. Love the mitts too!

[Laughs slightly pitifully at Flylady's suggestion that we spend 15 mins on wrapping today ... 15 mins ... ha... ha ....haaaaahhhhhhhhh] Thanks for links though Goth

Welcome back Alice! Lovely handsome Christmas elf you have there!

Congrats on poo success to mini-Engels!

Enjoy the tree Swan and sympathies over loo-seat gate. Same issue here! We have rather posh (inherited) china bases with cheapest DIY shop "lids" as it were, that have been replaced many times over the years. Bet they are all designed by men as, as you say, some extremely difficult to clean properly.

Toffee did you give up your cleaner?

Love those crocheted snowflakes Whoknows and congrats to your dc on their star performances! You sound v. organised on the Christmas front.

Knitters: Did you happen to see those guys knitting white and red baubles scandi-style on Kirsty's handmade Christmas prog btw? Thought they were fab!

Big feathery waves to everyone else!

Today I have:
doc visit
hospital visit (to see friend)
school Christmas fete
aside from usual washing, ironing, costume making, card writing, present wrapping, photograph developing, photocopying, tidying, soup-making, baking, ingredient buying, volunteering and panicking!!!

Aaarrrgggghhhhhhhhhh!!

Btw, meant to say thank you very much for supportive words over nine guests (arriving in precisely one week )

I didn't really volunteer to host tbh, they announced they were coming and it's family - and I always feel huge guilt for living so far away - so didn't really feel I could say 'no'. Sure I will enjoy it once its over once they're here

Thanks SC and swan.

Have a long list of stuff to do today, but am fiddling about on the computer instead. Might go and hit the shops. That counts at this time of year, doesn't it?!

SC - no, I didn't give up my cleaner - she gave me up . She had developed allergies to cleaning (don't we all ) and was advised by her dr to find another job.

DS2's dentist's visit was a great success . I think he was much better prepared for it this time. We had had a chat about it last night and I explained what would happen, but without mentioning any possibility of pain at all - very light and breezy. We downloaded some music for him to listen to on headphones and that seemed to help. The dentist and nurse were brilliant with him and, between the three of us (me holding his hand), he coped really well. It was a big filling as well - just above the nerve - so he really needed it. Hopefully, that will save the baby tooth until it falls out in a couple of years.

He came out, saying, "That was fine, actually". Phew. No dental anxieties brewing then. I have a friend who is in pieces every time she has to go to the dentist because of terrible childhood experiences and I don't want that for Ds2.

We are having a quiet day at home today and no lessons for DS2. I should make the most of it and tackle the bedroom again: I started going through some of the boxes of papers yesterday.

Have to take the cats to the vet later for their Kitten Club.

What do the cats do at Kitten Club *Toffee? . Glad the dentist visit went well.

Blue - those mittens look great, didn't spot any flaws, that is one thing I like about crochet over knitting, it is much easier to compensate for any flaws (I make plenty of them).

Well, inviting friends for coffee at 9am today was a great idea as I HAD to get the house straight last night, so downstairs at least is all looking respectable. Enjoyed seeing the friends and then dashed off to school to help serve up Christmas dinner (the hall and tables get decorated and the children are served at their tables instead of having to queue up at the serving hatch). Rather manic but all good fun. I'm debating whether to go swimming now or flop on the sofa and do some crocheting (or write cards).

I'm just sitting back relaxing, eating some venison pie.(oh yummmm!)

I've run all my errands - grocery shop, a few christmas presents picked up, gas and electric meters, petrol in car. Now I just need to sort a few things online and then school runs and the weekend!!

I went to run some errands but got stuck in some snow for a bit. Which was a tad scary but thankfully still a bit on the warm side for snow so it melted enough to not only escape but to get errands done too. I should be getting on with a whole heap of stuff but am shattered so just sitting with a coffee for a little bit. Still got a whole heap of furniture to put back, not to mention all the other bits and bobs that got moved

Is insanely jealous of any mention of snow.

So. Not. Fair.

Snow =

Not when your brakes are useless as you happen to have had over 2inches fall in around 10 mins on a layer of ice and it is a rather steep hill. FUCKING SCARY!

Bitchy we used to live at the top of an icy steep hill, I used to abandon the car in snowy weather! just wasn't worth it. Plus it was a heap of junk which used to refuse to go up the hill.

15 minutes wrapping, I wish. Have spent a lot of the afternoon doing it, but I think I'm done! I've even got an emergency spare present. Just got to do the Christmas cards now. Doesn't look like the school photos are going to arrive in time, so will have to send them out in the new year.

Have crashed out on the sofa as DH is doing dinner. Not sure if it's the dark evenings, but I have the urge to nap around 6.

BBL with links

ta da
two loo seats that work Yay!
builder has left after a week
Home Ed football
babysat neighbour's new born puppies [very sweet]

and Dh has been moving books down from our room to the new landing bookcase, in honour of which I have tidied our bedroom a bit, mostly for the builder though so that he could even deal with the loo seat
This involved a lot of throwing stuff in cupboards and hiding things under the bed so not very Flyladyish. And the Moths Are Back spotted on on the wall.

Dd's possessions are scattered over the landing as her room stinks of paint for now and she is still in our bedroom.

Not a very successful day in one sense as ds2 has NOT been gainfully occupied at all, although he did claim he read another book on ships. It is no good saying he is on holiday as even in the holidays he requires supervision !!!!

aw see Bitchy but that's the kind of weather I'm used to from living in Minnesota and Maine in the states. Would make me feel right at home!

It's not really a "good snow" unless you have to dig out your car.

This was nothing like a good snow. And if we were in Minnesota and Maine the roads would have been looked after. Bloody council had not gritted the road. The next country (where I was going) had and their roads were completely passable and safe! Twas so bad we had to notify the police. Unfortunately my county have changed their gritting policy. They used to be really good. Shame not any more.

done stuff. Cba and quitting whilst ahead. Early night and then attempt to get everything done tomo

oooooooooooh bad council! Sorry you had to deal with that.

LINKS FOR SATURDAY 13th DECEMBER

Babystep 13 is to start doing missions (bit of an easy start as the next one isn't until Monday)

Saturday is Family Fun Day

As it's the weekend there are NO missions!

The Launch Pad is here

Tbf we weren't supposed to have snow. It should have been too warm for it to stick. And it wouldn't have stuck if it hadn't dumped a huge amount quickly. The rate in which it melted was rapid so I am very grateful a scare was the worst that happened. The way the cars were moving on the road there was the potential for a bad accident. You know it is bad when 4 x 4's are struggling

Evening (morning actually). Just been waiting for some soup I made this evening to cool so that I could put it in fridge and finally go to bed!

No snow here - we have had hideous driving rain and sleet and a vicious wind all day. Not very Christmassy at all.

Traffic was beyond hideous too. Held up this morning owing to Reine Fabiola's funeral and then this afternoon because everyone had taken to their cars because of horrible weather. Apparently there were traffic jams in Belgium today 220 km long (if added up together)

Flew all morning. Just about managed to get to school Christmas market and then made brief visit to friend in hospital. Then had doc appt.

Btw I understand that you've had "thunder-snow" where you are Goth!! Experienced that once in Washington and it was the wierdest thing - usually snow calms the weather - but that particular snowstorm riled it
up!

Talk of snow in Minnesota makes me think of Laura Ingalls Wilder Alice! (like the sound of the venison pie btw!)

Blue you bet shopping counts as Flying!! (partic at this time of year! and partic factoring in crowds, hideous weather, traffic etc etc)

Drive safely Bitchy!!

I envy you your landing bookcase Swan

That's such a lovely idea about serving the dc Christmas dinner at school Whoknows

Oh that's a shame about the cleaner Toffee I can imagine you could do with her all the more when you are home edding. Well done to your ds2 for being so brave at the dentist!

Ta da:
morning routine inc dw, wm, rabbit, packed lunch, dining room table hot spots
ironed white shirt
tested dd (last min revision)
school run
hung up dark blue wash
put on wool wash
put photos on memory stick
wrapped tiny presents and wrote card for friend in hosp
sorted school admin (hot lunches from Jan + hwk supervision etc)
tidied playroom, dining room, kitchen and hall ahead of cleaners
found Iphone that I thought I had lost for ever [yay!!!]
found charger!!
found half of the books needed for Sun
took laundry panier downstairs and sorted
threw out dying hyacinths
emptied dw
hung up wool wash
school Christmas market
visited friend in hospital
tried to take memory stick to photo developers but they were shut
back home for pit stop
back out to doc
made pasta supper
made lentil and carrot soup

Ended day a lot more organised than I started it but boudoir has started to suffer again and home office is unspeakably disorganised. Could spend a week doing both of those but no time.

Nine million things still on 'to do' list ... and packed w/e ahead (social commitments)... not sure when I am going to get anything done!!

Big waves to all!

The venison pie was a small one that I bought on offer at Waitrose. They had a few different "holiday" themed pies - turkey and cranberry was the other one I bought. Yum. It's not something I normally buy, but I decided that this month I want to try some new things to enjoy over the holiday period. I'm always encouraging the dcs to try new things, so why not me? (although I've had venison loads of times, as my dad was usually pretty lucky during deer hunting season growing up, so we had loads of venison - just haven't had it in years!)

Today is quick tidy and catch up on things day. Ex MIL is coming over to visit the dcs, so I'd like the house to look "extra" presentable.