Bitchy takes on the January Fledgling Thread. Buckle in and enjoy the ride...

[BitchyTakesOnManagement]

Ok. Welcome to the January Fledglings thread. Before we get started we have Some important notices

1. The fledglings are a long running thread, We are might seem clicky but that is what happens when some of us have been on the same thread for up to 5 years
2. We are rather partial to new blood Pull up a seat in the naughty corner
3. Don't assume you can march in and impose your way. We follow the fly lady way and we adapt it to suit our lives and needs. You are welcome to come join us for support and chat, don't assume you know best.
4. There is more to us than cleaning. If you want to be obsessive about cleaning you will find us and and our interpretation of fly lady frustrating. You might be happier else where.

Right, as harsh as it might seem, it is important to get that out of the way as we expect this January thread to be busier with newbies and there has been problems in the past.

So the fly lady system there are rules and we have adaptations.

1. NO perfectionism!!!
2. Something is better than nothing and sometimes good enough really is good enough.

3.This is not about the housework, it is about having more time to do fun stuff. Don't ever feel guilty about doing stuff with the kids over doing the housework. The kids are more important.

And the practical adaptations. We have discussed the Marie Kondo book and the approaches within on previous threads. We are all agree two things: the author does not have kids and that the principles are very good for decluttering and that they can be used to in conjunction with the fly lady system (Marie Kondo to get in control, and fly lady to stay in control). As for the fly lady system there are some of the babysteps and things that are advised that are either "huh, why?" or just don't fit in with the household. We advise a pinch of salt and discretion with a dash of reality thrown in. E.g. if you are a no shoes household then clearly the wearing shoes in the house part of babystep 2 is going to make you go This is where adaptations come in and if past threads are to be gone on this will be discussed and there are various takes on it as and when they arise.

Also for the over enthusiastic newbies to the fly lady site and system everything you need will be posted here in the form of links. There are 3 levels:
Newbie: babysteps - get into these habbit
student: Missions and babysteps once the habits are habit the missions are a piece of cake.
Expert: deep cleaning, missions and babysteps - forget this if you have clutter, seriously.
Oh and for the love of all sanity do not subscribe to the email alerts. Seriously. Just don't.

Jump on board, buckle in and lets kick the butt of January.
Bitchy special brew on the naughty corner bar, natch
do we warn the newbies about the special brew or let them find out for themselves?

Happy New Year to everyone from wet and windy Wales! Will be back to catch up properly - and start Flying again in earnest, I hope! - once we're back home next week.

Hello everyone,

Well not a good start but after the total chaos of last night's mass meal/party I decided that one more day of doing absolutely nothing was called for. Tomorrow I will start to get myself organised. Plan for tomorrow, actually is to pop into work and do a few little jobs before I start back properly on Monday, then go mad in the sales for a while.....shopping list includes a new handbag, mega excited!!!
Then an afternoon of meeting someone you might "know" and having a catch-up after not seeing them for a few years.

I am back on here because we have vague plans for getting the house all decorated and up together for putting on the market later on this year. I need to get it sorted and then keep it in order so that I am not stressed all the time.
Although, things might be a little slow to start with as I have some important exams next week and the week after and I have done no revising for the past 2 weeks! That needs to be my priority over the coming weeks.

Anyway, enough rambling.....welcome to the newbies and hello to all those regulars who don't know me. (I was the original fledgling with SC) and massive flaps and honks to all those who do remember me.

So lovely to see old faces

Meal with family was fine. Cramped and long, but fine. I get on well with them all so always a bonus.

Back on top form tomorrow- I've promised myself.

I'm back to work Monday and need to get the house back 'work ready' (am a cm) and thrown on at the deep end with 9 children

My biggest nemesis is laundry. It's my trade off with DH as he does the food shopping but I'm always so behind with it. I know for a fact if it vice versa I would have had words with dh and bless him he says nothing about running out of work tops or dd having no undies.

So tomorrow-
Laundry
Shop for car seat and stair gate
Shop for birthday present for party
Sort car seats into car
Mission
Tidy playroom and decluttering for 15 mins.

So, the lure of cats and the sofa was too much.... Managed to take clothes and books to recycling, go to tescos and cooked dinner. Will try again with the conservatory tomorrow

It's as well we like roast dinners - had our third Christmas dinner today and likely to get another with FIL in the next few days! Tomorrow is going to be another day of packing and travelling.

Big waves to newbies and familiar faces alike.

Saymwa 'D'Hs doing housework, the ultimate question. Sometimes asking helps, or sarcasim plus death stare. Babysteps

MrsMook (cool name) a little order is helpful, but we don't aim for perfection. Personally I like the house tidy enough that I can 1. find things 2. do my crafting without feeling guilty

Done
Dry laundry away
Lunch
Prep and froze carrots
Prep veg casserole for tomorrow
Washing up
Litter tray
Boiled handwarmers
Laundry on

To Do
Sew in peskies on blanket
Watch Batman tonight

This must be, oooo, the third or fourth time I've joined this thread?!
So, hello again to any people who recognise me (I don't think I've changed my username since I last joined...) and hello, nice to meet you to any who don't recognise me (probably everyone, I'm probably not all that memorable! )

Totally agree with picking and choosing what works for you, I can't be doing with the shoes in the house rule, and also my zones don't exactly follow fly lady's, for instance, I do my dining area and kitchen in the same week as I have a kitchen diner so a lot of the kitchen stuff is actually in the dining area (cupboards, fridge etc), so it makes more sense to clean my house that way.

I'm planning to get a bit of decluttering done in the first half of the year, I have lots of time on my hands at the moment (SAHM with a school aged child and one in preschool for 15 hours a week) so really need to use my time this year wisely as I've got to get a job when the little one goes to school in September

Anyway, happy new year to everyone, nice to meet you (again in some cases )

I don't do perfection! No worries there I need some level of function though.

Oops, forgot to say what I'd done today

Done
Tidy and Hoover living room (I know, wrong zone but it really needed doing)
The usual 'smaller' tasks such as dishwasher and 1 load of washing)
Brief tidy of DC's rooms
Written important dates in new calendar
Delivered monthly newsletters in my village

Not doing anything else today, am flopped on the sofa now

Would like to join/lurk (Hi saymwa)

My house is pretty clean and tidy but I do like the ethos of me time (which I do take) but also want to keep on top of the housework and soak up any hints and tips the fly lady and yourselves have

I will not be shining my sink but apart from that I am completely in (if that's ok....)

Busy day here:

Additional Ta da list:
More loading and unloading of dishwasher
Two loads of laundry
Folding and putting away clean laundry
DS taken to park via bottle bank (it was a sea bottles all round the bins...wonder why?!?)
Sitting room tidied and hoovered
My work clothes laid out for tomorrow, lunch made, bag packed
DS clothes and nappy stuff also laid out , nursery backpack ready
Online banking done
Last of the Christmax cake eaten (that counts, right ? )

Big waves to Blue, Goth, Bitchy, Linzer, Toffee and other regulars,

wafted at newbies Saymwa, Rufus, Whispers, MrsM and everyone else. This us going to be a hard thread to keep up with!

Hi
I've been here before but was a bit crap.

So - dh and I have agreed today to a better split of housework in an attempt to actually move forward rather than simply maintaining a level of squalor.

We both work full time and I have been appointed 'project manager' whilst dh is happy to be main skivvy. Therefore, I think the discipline of Flying will help us both out.

Anyway - we've only just got back from MIL's (6 hour drive) and I'm already pleased that we have completely unpacked, cases back attic, one load of washing and drying done and dinner eaten / dishwasher on.

Here's to a tidy / clean January all.

Cases alreadu back in the attic!!! Crikey crikey you can go to bed feeling smug now!!

That is impressive, it takes at least a fortnight to persuade DH to make a loft trip (I can't do it myself due to a spider and ladder phobia)

Hi all

Wasn't holding out much hope for getting much done today but managed to clean all pots, wash a load of clothes and clear the kitchen side of all rubbish. Not bad for a 'lazy day'

Also managed a chat with DH to put in plan some financial decluttering as well.

I'm pleased with that.

I more or less managed my list.
Just going to wipe down sink cos that's as close to shining it as it gets at this castle

Count me back in please! I need 2015 to be the year I get organised and on top of the routines.

Right you will have to wait for a round up a girl accidentally falls asleep before ds' bedtime and you all have a massive natter

As a weird dream woke me up i thought you might like the babysteps and suck like.

As it is friday it is clean your purse and car out day It is also date night which means if you have a dp or dh you are supposed to do something with them. Even it is just veg out in the same room vaguely watching the same thing. Personally i will be skipping the date night part but goodness knows my car needs clearing out!

Babystep 2 is the contriversial shoe wearing one. There has been a lot of discussion about this one. And i mean a lot. The conclusion is that some work better in shoes, some find the idea of shoes in the house totally abhorant. We are not going to say anything about the shoes! But the principle of getting up to the point of being public ready straight way is good. Although some of us work perfectly fine in our pjs and dressing gowns, it is generally easier to be motivated if you get up straight away. Despite the shoes aspect this step is still referred to as dress to shoes in a lot of ta da lists, whether or not shoes are worn.

Although flylady has gone towards the send her an email when you have done stuff, I suspect the advice on this thread is to skip the emailing it in part. Oh very Jullian Michaels of her Oh and if you search for the shoe wearing explanation on the thread, the last time I found it, i was shock about how militantly she believed shoes had to be worn in the house. So if you do chose to hunt out her explanation of this babystep, which is not on the link, be prepared for this.

the Mission today is essentially 15mins decluttering in the hall.

the pampering missions

for those with kids the flykids challenge

the launch pad

I get dressed to make up and sometimes flip-flops. Though at the moment one of my toe nails is making a break for freedom after a 10k run in the summer in ill-fitting shoes, so slippers for me! But make up, yes.

Today I need to call the hospital - DS is in on Monday for a raft of tests but we only have an appt time for one of them so need to check the others too .

Need DS to do his homework that I've ignored all holiday - and get a new printer cartridge.

Date night was last night here so also back on the exercise regime tonight. DH has some weird psychological thing to achieve goals and it seems to work for him so I'm going to give it a go too so will be setting my goals tonight :s.

Also need to start planning DD's 3rd birthday party. She's never had enough friends to have a party before so I'm hoping people will be able to make it!

I am off to London with the dc and my ddad today to visit family so will definitely be clearing the car out before we go.
To do
Breakfast
Dressed
Wash up
Wipe kitchen down
Shine the sink
Beds made
Wash load in
Washload out to dry
15m declutter of cupboard in the hall
Wait for dsis to have her baby (tomorrow is her due date)

Good luck sorting out ds appts Trazzle

Thanks Mercury the one he def has is at 10. And 12. And 2. So usually they fit the other ones in between but I can't take that for granted! Wish they would just tell me!

Good morning! How is DS doing at the moment trazzles? I haven't been on this thread at the same time as you in quite a while, hope you don't mind me asking.

Morning bitchy and Mercury too.

Hi everyone. I'd like to join, please. Used to be a member a while back (very briefly), but slackened off what with a new baby (DS) and my incipient laziness. Ironic, because as I've discovered, tidying more means tidying LESS (although there's a 33.333% chance I'm talking bollox there).

Anyway, I have a 9mo who wants a lot of attention, so have to do what I can do in between. Luckily he seems to have shaken off the hideous bugs that he had over Christmas so is much more inclined to play on the floor -- bashing the bejesus out of whatever happens to be in his way, whether it be xylophone or cat.

Ta Dah

• Put washing machine on (to clean the sheets and matress protecter, the victims of last night's horendous poo incident)
• stacked dishwasher and put it on. Quick sweep of the kitchen putting away spices, etc left out from last night's cooking.

To Do

• Empty bin
• Clean kitchen
• 15 minutes declutter of the random crap drawer in the kitchen
• Take some books/DVDs to charity shop on way to taking DD to park
• Hoover entire house
• Mop kitchen and bathroom floor
• Put on another wash, towels probably

Another night of poor sleep and pottering way past my bedtime . So today's list will include a nap!!!

I will be dressing to shoes today as my slippers are in the wash - must remember to put into hospital bag!

Proud to announce that car is gleaming inside after having it valeted in preparation for carseat and baby. Determined to keep it this way!

To Do:
Errands.
Grocery shop.
Make soup for freezer.
Figure out how to use steriliser.
Figure out new camera and apply for cashback offer.
Figure out breast pump , just in case.
Clean out handbag.
Nap.
Phone calls.
Dinner and general tidy.

Good mornin! I have been fluttering for a while but find the emails overwhelming so going to jump in here if that's ok.

I've done so far...

Laundry reboot
Swish and swipe
Dishes

I need to

Get dressed
Make beds (once they are empty, lazy pigs)
15 minutes cluttering in the zone
Car (which is horrendous, I've been needing to do it for weeks)
Bag
Date night barf might mean sharing a bottle of beer. I've seen enough of him over the past fortnight.
Pick up a couple of bits for dinner.